Fauna Spotters logo

Lord Howe Marbled Gecko (Christinus guentheri)

The Lord Howe Island gecko is a nocturnal, Vulnerable gecko restricted to the Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island groups. It shelters in rock crevices, weathered rock tunnels, boulder piles, tree splits and ground debris, so clearing, rock removal, vegetation disturbance and the movement of rodents or competing geckos can affect it on development sites.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Breeding records are concentrated around November, with gravid females also recorded in March. Eggs may remain in nests for about 11 to 13 weeks or, on Lord Howe Island, for 30 to 39 weeks and possibly 8 to 9 months, so concealed eggs and sheltering geckos require checks throughout the year.

Reproductive mode: Egg-laying, or oviparous.

Clutch size: One to three eggs per clutch, with a mean of 1.32. Communal clutches of up to seven eggs have been reported.

Incubation: Around 8 to 9 months in the IUCN account. Other records report 11 to 13 weeks on Phillip and Nepean islands and a minimum of 30 to 39 weeks for eggs from Lord Howe Island.

Size at hatching: Hatchling snout to vent length recorded as 30 mm.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Nest or egg sites: Honeycombed beachrock tunnels, caves, tree root systems, tree crevices, rock crevices, soil beneath boulders and spaces beneath fallen timber. Nest sites may be reused and may be communal.

Breeding frequency: Not established. Gravid females recorded in March as well as November suggest that more than one clutch in a season may occur.

Confirm timing locally before clearing, because local temperature and rainfall can affect activity, egg development and the period when animals move outside shelters.

  • Mating: Mating dates are not recorded. Active spermatogenesis in males was recorded in November, which is the nearest species-specific indicator of mating activity.
  • Gravid females: Gravid females were recorded in March and November. The documents do not establish how long females carry eggs or whether these are peak months.
  • Egg laying: Egg laying dates are not fully documented, but eggs were collected in late November and one laboratory egg was laid in December. Females lay one to three eggs, and communal nesting occurs.
  • Incubation: Eggs can remain in nests for about 11 to 13 weeks, with a minimum of 30 to 39 weeks recorded for Lord Howe Island eggs and around 8 to 9 months reported by the IUCN. The broad window reflects these different island and laboratory records.
  • Hatchlings: Hatching months and hatchling abundance are not directly recorded. Based on the documented laying and incubation periods, hatchlings may occur from January to March after shorter incubation, or from July to September after extended incubation.
  • Active period: The species is nocturnal and spotlighting is recommended from November to February. Peak activity is probably from mid spring to mid summer, especially from sunset to the first three hours after dark.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from November to February, when night activity and breeding evidence overlap. Risk remains in every month because eggs may occupy nests for several months and adults shelter under rocks, in crevices, tree splits, fallen timber, litter and debris.

Identification

This is a small, heavily built gecko with smooth, small scales and long, slender fingers and toes. It is most likely to be found at night on vegetation, coastal rocks and boulder slopes, or by day beneath rock and other cover.

Adults are pale olive-grey to dark brown and heavily peppered with dark brown spots. Six paler, W-shaped transverse markings continue onto the paler flanks. The tail has a dull russet-red stripe along the mid-dorsal line, a whitish to yellow-brown underside and dark brown spots. The species grows to about 8 cm and weighs around 12 g.

Body length: Up to about 80 mm

Mass: About 12 g

Scales: Smooth and small

Feet: Long, slender fingers and toes

Identification: Distinguishing features

The Lord Howe Island gecko is the only native gecko in the Lord Howe and Norfolk island groups. On Norfolk Island, the introduced Asian house gecko is the main potential confusion species, although the two are not known to co-occur on the same island. The Asian house gecko is different in size and markings and lacks the greatly enlarged pair of terminal pads under the tip of each toe.

On Lord Howe Island, the introduced Lampropholis delicata is a possible confusion species for small geckos only in a broad field sense. It is a skink, not a gecko, and adults reach about 40 mm body length, whereas adult Lord Howe Island geckos reach about 80 mm.

  • Photograph small individuals and obtain expert confirmation where identification is uncertain.
  • Record the island, habitat, shelter type, body size and clear photographs of the head, dorsum, tail and feet.

Identification: Field signs and sex

The species has no distinctive call, track or scat sign documented in the supplied sources. Direct observation is the reliable field record, especially spotlighting at night and searches beneath loose rocks, logs, debris and other shelter.

Sexes can occur in different microhabitats on Phillip Island. Males were more common on relatively clear slopes beneath white oak, while females were more common on boulder slopes beneath African olive thickets. The adult sex ratio was close to 1:1 on Phillip Island and 1 male to 1.42 females on Nepean Island.

Adult sex ratio, Phillip Island: Approximately 1:1

Adult sex ratio, Nepean Island: 1 male to 1.42 females

  • Treat rock piles, embedded boulders, weathered rock tunnels, tree splits and dense edge vegetation as potential occupied shelter even when no animal is visible.
  • Do not lift or replace cover unnecessarily during searches, and keep a record of the original position of each rock or item of debris.

Distribution: National range

In Australia, the species is confined to offshore island groups associated with New South Wales and the Norfolk Island region. It is not a mainland Australian species and no mainland bioregion is identified in the supplied sources.

The Lord Howe Island group includes Lord Howe Island and satellite islands and islets including Blackburn, Roach Island, Balls Pyramid and other vegetated rocky outcrops. The Norfolk Island group includes Phillip Island, Nepean Island and the small rocky islets Moo-oo Stone, Bird Rock and Green Pool Stone.

The species is recorded under New South Wales listings and is associated with the Lord Howe Island World Heritage area. The supplied documents do not assign records to a mainland Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia bioregion.

  • Lord Howe Island group, New South Wales island territory.
  • Norfolk Island group, including Phillip Island, Nepean Island and adjacent rocky islets.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

Phillip Island is the best documented stronghold in the supplied material. The species occurs across the island wherever shelter is available, with highest densities on grassy coastal cliffs and vegetated boulder slopes in the central valley. A 2005 estimate placed the Phillip Island population between 99,000 and 176,000 individuals.

On Lord Howe Island, the species declined sharply on the main island after being abundant until about the 1930s. It now occurs in small numbers at few locations, including a restricted area near the settlement and the rare beachrock habitat behind Lagoon Beach and at the base of Malabar. It remains common on some offshore islands, including Blackburn and Roach islands.

Phillip Island population estimate: 99,000 to 176,000 individuals in 2005

Norfolk Island group distribution: Phillip Island, Nepean Island, Moo-oo Stone, Bird Rock and Green Pool Stone

Estimated population in the 2023 recovery plan: 176,000

Reported 2010 to 2023 trend: Stable, with medium confidence

  • Nepean Island, where the species is abundant across the island.
  • Moo-oo Stone, Bird Rock and Green Pool Stone, where it shelters in rocky cover.
  • Balls Pyramid and other vegetated rocky islets, where records are documented or considered likely.

Distribution: Site interpretation

Records are uneven because day surveys can miss animals that are active at night. On Fisherman's Hut Rock, 679 individuals were estimated from a three-night mark and recapture study, whereas day surveys of the same area found only 10 individuals. Survey results should therefore be interpreted alongside method, timing, weather, shelter availability and search effort.

  • Do not treat a negative daytime search as evidence that a rocky or vegetated site is unoccupied.
  • Use the known island distribution and habitat features to screen potential habitat before clearing or construction.

Habitat: Habitat types

The species uses forest, woodland, grassland and exposed rocky islets, provided that shelter from heat and predators is available. Habitat quality depends on the combination of rock or debris cover, edge vegetation and leaf litter that supports prey.

Recorded habitats include closed forest, low open woodland, tussock grassland, coastal cliffs, rocky islets, bare rocky slopes and areas of primary or secondary regrowth forest. On Phillip Island, the species occurs across vegetated and rocky habitats and reaches high densities on grassy coastal cliffs and boulder slopes.

On Lord Howe Island, an important mainland habitat is honeycombed beachrock partly embedded in soil and surrounded by Howea palm forest. A thick humus layer formed by leaf litter surrounds the rock and supports invertebrate prey.

Broad habitat types: Closed forest, low woodland, tussock grassland, coastal cliffs, rocky islets and boulder slopes

Lord Howe Island mainland habitat: Honeycombed beachrock in Howea palm forest behind Lagoon Beach and at the base of Malabar

Climate or elevation limits: No specific elevation limit is provided; the species is recorded from coastal and island habitats exposed to strong climatic and physical conditions

Habitat: Vegetation and structure

The gecko is associated with Howea palm forest, white oak, Norfolk Island pine, Phillip Island hibiscus and other edge vegetation. It also uses African olive, although it is largely absent from dense groves of immature olives and is more often found at their edges.

Important structural features include loose basalt boulders, rock slabs, embedded rocks, deep rock fissures, tree splits, fallen timber, surface litter, dense root or vegetation cover and shaded edges. Most individuals make only short movements from cover onto bare ground.

  • Map and retain boulder piles, rock outcrops, beachrock, fallen timber, litter and shaded vegetation edges before works begin.
  • Treat isolated rock outcrops and small vegetated islets as potential habitat, even where vegetation is sparse.
  • Avoid creating broad exposed gaps between shelter and adjacent vegetation.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Lord Howe Island gecko feeds at night on the ground, among leaf litter, on rocks and in vegetation. It combines insectivory with seasonal use of nectar and some plant material.

Invertebrate prey recorded from stomachs include spiders, mites, beetles, moths, caterpillars, flies, ants and wasps. The species also consumes plant material, including bracts or leaves, anthers and seeds.

Nectar is an important seasonal food on Phillip Island. Documented sources include white oak and swan plant nectar, together with fruit from pigface. On Lord Howe Island, the gecko has been observed feeding on nectar from Lagunaria patersonia.

Main prey: Spiders, mites, beetles, moths, caterpillars, flies, ants and wasps

Plant foods recorded: Bracts or leaves, anthers, seeds, nectar and fruit

Named food plants: White oak, swan plant, pigface and Lagunaria patersonia

Foraging habitat: Foraging locations and behaviour

The gecko forages among leaf litter, on open sand, rocky cliffs, grassy areas, coastal rocks and in the littoral and adjacent splash zones. It also hunts in trees and shrubs, especially flowering white oak and Phillip Island hibiscus.

Peak activity is probably from mid-spring to mid-summer. Activity is greatest between sunset and the first three hours after dark. The species does not appear to require a separate thermoregulation period during nocturnal activity, and its thermal activity range differs little from ambient conditions.

  • Search flowering trees, shaded vegetation edges, boulder slopes and coastal rock at night during the warmer months.
  • Retain leaf litter and flowering plants where possible because they provide both prey and nectar.
  • Avoid broad clearance of the short routes between shelter and nearby foraging vegetation.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Eggs are deposited in protected rock and soil sites, often beneath boulders, under fallen timber or inside rock tunnels. Communal nesting may occur, so a single occupied nest site can represent several eggs or females.

Gravid females and males with active spermatogenesis have been recorded in November. Gravid females have also been reported in March, suggesting that females may produce more than one clutch in a season. Eggs are soft when laid, then become thick, brittle and calcareous as they develop.

On Lord Howe Island, eggs are placed in tunnels in honeycombed beachrock, with new eggs sometimes laid on the shells of hatched eggs. On Phillip and Nepean islands, nests were found in soil beneath small to large boulders or beneath fallen timber.

Breeding period recorded: Gravid females and active spermatogenesis recorded in November; gravid females also reported in March

Clutch size: 1 to 3 eggs, mean 1.32 in a sample of 15 clutches

Communal nesting: Clutches of up to 7 eggs may represent communal nesting

Incubation: About 80 to 90 days in the recovery plan; a Lord Howe Island laboratory study recorded a minimum of 30 to 39 weeks, while Phillip and Nepean Island eggs took about 11 to 13 weeks

Age at sexual maturity: Not known

Lifespan: Not known

Known nest sites: Rock tunnels, soil beneath boulders and spaces beneath fallen timber

  • Protect all potential nesting cavities, boulder bases, embedded rocks and fallen timber during site preparation.
  • Where eggs or a communal nest are found, stop work in the immediate area and obtain fauna management advice before moving cover or soil.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat requirements

Breeding habitat requires stable, protected cavities that remain suitable through incubation. The documented features are honeycombed beachrock with interconnected tunnels and chambers, soil beneath boulders, rock crevices and fallen timber.

Thick leaf litter and surrounding vegetation are also important because they support prey and help maintain shaded, sheltered conditions. Construction vibration, rock removal, compaction, firewood removal and disturbance of ground cover may affect nest sites even when adults are not observed.

  • Inspect proposed work areas for embedded boulders, rock slabs, beachrock tunnels, fallen timber and cavities before ground disturbance.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, stored materials and temporary access routes away from identified or potential nesting cover.
  • Schedule works outside the peak activity and likely breeding period where practicable, while retaining controls because breeding evidence is incomplete.

Sheltering habitat: Known refuges

Daytime shelter is usually in or beneath hard cover. These refuges protect the gecko from heat and predators and may also be used for egg deposition.

Documented shelters include loose basalt boulders, rock slabs, boulder piles, embedded rocks, coastal rock crevices, weathered tunnels in calcarenite or beachrock, splits in trees, holes in volcanic rock cliffs, fallen timber, surface litter and other debris. The gecko has also been found beneath upturned boats at the beach margin.

On Lord Howe Island, the tunnels in honeycombed beachrock appear to provide the only safe shelter from vertebrate predators at some mainland sites. The tunnels average 1 to 2 cm in diameter and can extend deep into the rock, with some joining into larger chambers.

Beachrock tunnel openings: Average about 1 to 2 cm diameter

Day shelter: Rocks, rock tunnels, tree splits, fallen timber, litter, debris and occasionally upturned boats

Night shelter use: Animals emerge onto trees, shrubs, coastal rocks, sand, grass and other foraging surfaces

  • Retain rocks in place and avoid rolling, crushing or burying boulders during clearing.
  • Check beneath loose rocks, logs, debris and stored items before moving them.
  • Inspect tree bases and splits where trees or large limbs are to be removed.
  • Keep temporary materials, spoil and plant away from rock piles and shaded shelter edges.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter distribution

On Blackburn Island, abundance is highest among gentle slopes of loose basalt boulders on the leeward side, especially around the bases of low, windswept trees. On Nepean Island, animals shelter beneath surface rocks, litter and rocky crevices, with high numbers near white oak thickets.

On Phillip Island, shelter is concentrated on boulder slopes, beneath rocks and fallen timber, and under vegetation that provides shade. Most geckos make only relatively short journeys onto bare ground from rock scree or edge vegetation.

  • Prioritise shelter surveys around boulder slopes, tree bases, white oak thickets, forest edges and shaded coastal rock.
  • Treat isolated cover as potentially connected habitat because animals may move short distances between refuge and feeding sites.

Threats: Clearing and construction

The main risks are introduced predators and competitors, habitat loss or disturbance, and accidental movement of invasive species between islands. On island projects, quarantine and retention of rocky cover are key controls.

Clearing, trampling, weed invasion, past habitat destruction and loss or fragmentation of native vegetation are documented threats. On the Lord Howe Island main island, the species is now restricted to few locations after a historical decline, so disturbance of its remaining beachrock and palm forest habitat has a high local consequence.

Rock removal, ground disturbance, tree and fallen timber removal, vegetation edge clearance and compaction can remove day shelters, nest sites and invertebrate-rich leaf litter. The supplied recovery assessment rates past vegetation loss and fragmentation as a medium threat and future clearing as a negligible threat in the Norfolk Island group, but site-level effects still depend on whether occupied habitat is present.

  • Complete a targeted habitat inspection before clearing, trenching, rock breaking, earthworks or vegetation removal.
  • Mark and retain rock outcrops, boulder piles, embedded beachrock, tree splits, fallen timber and dense shelter vegetation.
  • Keep clearing footprints and machinery movements out of known habitat wherever practicable.
  • Use fauna spotter catcher procedures for rock, log, debris and tree removal, with staged searches and safe replacement of cover.

Threats: Predators and competitors

Introduced rats are regarded as a major cause of the historical decline on Lord Howe Island. Rats, cats and pigs have been identified as threats on the main island, while rats and cats on Norfolk Island probably prevent establishment there. Cats no longer occur on Lord Howe Island, according to the supplied management material.

The Asian house gecko is a potential competitor and predator of ecological opportunity on Norfolk's offshore islands. The introduced Grass Skink, Lampropholis delicata, may compete for food on Lord Howe Island. Introduced invertebrates, including Argentine ants and other invasive ants, are also identified as risks.

  • Maintain rodent, cat and pig exclusion and control measures around island works.
  • Do not transport soil, vegetation, building materials, plant or equipment between islands without the required quarantine controls.
  • Report Asian house geckos, rats, cats, invasive skinks or unusual ants detected near offshore island works.
  • Keep food waste and construction materials secured so they do not attract rodents.

Threats: Fire, roads, disease and hydrology

The supplied documents do not identify a species-specific disease, road mortality pattern or hydrology requirement. They do identify climate-related changes to vegetation, increased fire risk and direct physiological stress as a medium risk in the Norfolk Island recovery assessment.

Because the species shelters in shallow rock and ground refuges and depends on leaf litter and vegetation edges, fire, intense heat, removal of shade, altered drainage, erosion and sediment entering rock or soil cavities may reduce shelter or prey. These are practical site risks where works alter surface conditions, even though species-specific thresholds are not provided.

  • Avoid burning felled timber, rock piles or leaf litter in potential habitat.
  • Keep access tracks and drainage works away from rock shelters and nesting areas.
  • Use erosion and sediment controls so runoff does not fill rock tunnels, crevices or litter-rich ground.
  • Check roads and temporary vehicle routes near rocky habitat during night works, when geckos may be active on the ground or on coastal rocks.

Threats: Rodent bait and quarantine

The species may ingest brodifacoum indirectly by eating poisoned invertebrates, although the supplied material assesses the risk of secondary poisoning as low. Rodent eradication documents state that both native reptiles are likely to increase after rodents are removed, while also recognising primary and secondary exposure pathways during baiting.

Accidental introduction of rats or other invasive species to offshore islands is a major management concern. Quarantine plans, bait station placement and monitoring are therefore relevant to construction and infrastructure logistics.

  • Use only approved island rodent control procedures and coordinate baiting with the project environmental officer and land manager.
  • Prevent bait, poisoned rodents and contaminated materials from being moved between work areas or islands.
  • Inspect barges, vessels, vehicles, machinery, freight and stored materials before transfer to offshore islands.
  • Record reptile observations and any dead or injured geckos during baiting, clearing and construction.

Survey methodology: 1. Spotlighting

Survey for the Lord Howe Marbled Gecko, Christinus guentheri, must focus on rocky shelter, coastal forest edges, boulder slopes and other protected features. The species is nocturnal and may be missed by daytime searches alone, particularly on the Lord Howe Island main island where recent systematic survey information is limited.

Spotlight during the warmer months, preferably from November to February. Activity is expected to peak from sunset to the first three hours after dark.

Search trees, shrubs, coastal rocks, boulder slopes, rock screes and vegetation edges. Give priority to flowering white oak, Phillip Island hibiscus, Norfolk Island pine and other trees or shrubs that provide nectar and insect prey.

Record weather, wind, rain, temperature if available, start and finish times, observers, route, habitat searched and spotlight type. Do not treat a single unsuccessful night as evidence that the species is absent.

Activity period: Peak activity probably occurs from mid spring to mid summer, with activity concentrated between sunset and the first three hours after dark.

Preferred survey months: November to February, in the warmer months.

  • Use repeat night searches where the project could affect suitable habitat, because the species can shelter deeply in rock tunnels, crevices, tree splits and other cover during the day.
  • Search the first three hours after sunset when planning effort, while also recording any later observations.
  • Use slow, quiet searches and scan both the ground and low vegetation because the species forages on rocks, in leaf litter, on shrubs and in trees.

Survey methodology: 2. Day searches under shelter

Search beneath loose rocks, slabs, fallen timber, debris and other sheltering features. Inspect rock crevices and the bases of boulder piles without dismantling habitat unnecessarily.

Day searches detected the species on Phillip Island, Nepean Island and several small offshore islets. They are useful for locating shelter sites, eggs and habitat features that need protection.

Known shelter features: Rock crevices, embedded boulders, beachrock tunnels, fallen timber, debris, leaf litter and splits or hollows in trees.

Known clutch size: One to three eggs.

  • Lift loose rocks only when authorised and only where the feature can be replaced in its original position and orientation.
  • Inspect honeycombed beachrock, embedded basalt boulders, rock tunnels, surface litter and tree splits where these features occur.
  • Search habitat edges and areas beneath trees, because individuals often make short movements from cover onto bare ground or vegetation.

Survey methodology: 3. Habitat and feature inspection

Map the project area before works begin, including rocky outcrops, boulder slopes, beachrock, rock screes, forest edges, tussock grassland, tree bases, fallen timber and dense leaf litter.

Assess adjoining retained habitat because the species uses closed forest, low open woodland, tussock grassland and exposed rocky islets. On Phillip Island it occurs in both vegetated and rocky habitats.

Adult size: Up to about 8 centimetres long and approximately 12 grams.

Foraging period: Primarily nocturnal.

  • Walk the full disturbance footprint and a suitable adjoining inspection area rather than relying on a few representative points.
  • Record all observations with coordinates, photographs, habitat description and the feature where the animal was found.
  • Use the survey results to identify areas that require avoidance, staged clearing, fauna handling or additional approval advice.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use warm-season spotlighting and targeted daytime shelter searches wherever suitable habitat may be disturbed.
  • Set the number of survey nights, search area and repeat visits from the size of the disturbance footprint, habitat complexity, access constraints and project risk, and document the justification because the guidelines do not prescribe a fixed number of nights for this species.
  • Have a suitably experienced herpetologist confirm uncertain identifications, especially where introduced Asian house geckos or other small reptiles could be present.
  • Photograph animals where practical, including the body pattern, feet and habitat feature, without delaying safe release.
  • Record all detections, non detections, search effort, weather, observers and limitations in the project fauna register.
  • Submit confirmed records and relevant survey results to the relevant state or territory wildlife database, and provide records to the land manager or conservation authority where required.
  • Obtain advice on the current EPBC Act and state survey requirements before finalising the survey design.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat rocky shelter and the surrounding vegetation as habitat, not isolated features. The species is nationally listed as Vulnerable and is listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales.

EPBC Act status: Vulnerable.

New South Wales status: Vulnerable under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

  • Avoid clearing known shelter sites, including honeycombed beachrock, rock tunnels, boulder piles, embedded rocks, rock slabs, tree splits, fallen timber and dense leaf litter.
  • Retain connected vegetation around rocky habitat, including forest edges, low woodland, tussock grassland and flowering trees and shrubs used for foraging.
  • Keep machinery, laydown areas, spoil, access tracks and materials out of retained rocky habitat and out of narrow vegetation edges used by geckos moving between cover and feeding sites.
  • Do not remove or rearrange rocks, logs or debris unless the fauna management plan specifies the method and an authorised fauna handler is present.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

  • Check whether the action requires an EPBC Act referral because Christinus guentheri is nationally listed as Vulnerable.
  • Check state or territory threatened species legislation, wildlife handling requirements, scientific licence conditions and any island reserve or park approvals before work starts.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat to retain, survey timing, authorised handlers, exclusion zones, clearing sequence, stop-work triggers, release sites, injury response and reporting requirements.
  • Schedule high-risk clearing and rock disturbance outside the main activity period where practicable, while recognising that animals may shelter in habitat at any time of year.
  • Stage works so that retained habitat remains connected and animals are not isolated between active work areas.

Before habitat disturbance: Prepare the site

  • Complete a pre-clearance survey using warm-season spotlighting and targeted searches of rocks, logs, debris, tree bases and crevices.
  • Mark retained habitat, no-go areas, access routes, exclusion zones and any confirmed shelter or egg-laying features before machinery enters the site.
  • Install exclusion fencing only where it can be designed and checked so that animals are not trapped within the work area or denied access to retained habitat.
  • Brief all workers on the species appearance, nocturnal behaviour, shelter features, handling limits, reporting pathway and stop-work procedure.
  • Control weeds and prevent the movement of soil, vegetation, rocks and equipment that could carry rodents, cats, Asian house geckos or other introduced species between islands or work areas.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

Use a slow, supervised clearing process around rocks, logs, debris, trees and vegetation edges. The fauna spotter catcher must be able to stop machinery before a gecko or its shelter is damaged.

  • Inspect exclusion fencing, retained habitat markers and access controls at the start of each shift and after rain, wind, vehicle movement or maintenance.
  • Keep the fauna spotter catcher in direct communication with the operator and position the spotter where the next feature to be disturbed can be inspected safely.
  • Clear vegetation progressively from the retained habitat edge towards the already disturbed area, using low speed and short work stages.
  • Stop machinery before moving any rock, log, debris, tree section or soil mass that could contain a sheltering gecko.
  • Do not allow night lighting, generators, spoil piles or stored materials to block access to retained habitat or create avoidable wildlife hazards.

During habitat disturbance: Handling habitat features

Egg deposition sites: Rock boulders, rock crevices, soil beneath boulders, fallen timber and honeycombed beachrock tunnels.

  • Inspect loose rocks, boulder piles, logs, debris, beachrock tunnels and tree splits before disturbance.
  • Where a feature must be moved, expose it gradually, keep the feature intact where possible and place it in nearby retained habitat with similar shelter, shade and orientation.
  • Replace lifted rocks and logs promptly if no animal is found, and do not leave cavities open to sun, traffic or machinery.
  • Treat eggs or a communal nest as a stop-work matter and obtain direction from the project ecologist or relevant wildlife authority before moving the feature.
  • Keep cleared material that provides shelter separate from waste material if it is suitable for reinstatement in rehabilitation areas.

During habitat disturbance: Animal found, injury and stop work

  • Stop the immediate activity and protect the animal from people, vehicles, machinery, heat and predators.
  • Do not handle the gecko unless authorised under the project approval and wildlife permit arrangements.
  • Use a trained and authorised fauna handler to place the animal in a secure, ventilated container only when handling is necessary for immediate safety or approved relocation.
  • Relocate the animal only to nearby retained habitat that matches the original shelter and vegetation conditions, unless the relevant authority approves another location.
  • Keep handling time short, avoid excessive heat and direct sunlight, and do not provide food or water unless directed by a qualified wildlife professional.
  • Take injured animals to an authorised veterinarian or wildlife carer as soon as practicable and record the handover.
  • Stop work across the relevant area if a gecko, eggs, a communal nest or an unexpected concentration of sheltering animals is found, and resume only after the ecologist confirms the control measures.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident reporting

  • Record the date, time, location, habitat feature, animal condition, photographs, handler, action taken, release location and outcome for every encounter.
  • Record injured, dead, relocated and unidentified reptiles as separate incident types.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and relevant authority of any unexpected mortality, repeated encounters, damaged habitat feature, failed exclusion fence or breach of the fauna management plan.
  • Update the work map after each encounter so that later clearing stages can avoid confirmed shelter and movement areas.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance work must confirm that animals have not been trapped or injured and that retained shelter remains functional. Monitoring should focus on the rocky and vegetated features used by the species.

  • Inspect the completed work area and its edges for trapped, injured or dead geckos, damaged nests, displaced rocks, exposed crevices and animals seeking shelter.
  • Check retained habitat after machinery leaves and after removal of exclusion fencing, particularly around access tracks, stockpiles and disturbed boulder slopes.
  • Repair damaged fencing, markers, retained vegetation and shelter features before demobilisation.
  • Remove waste, surplus soil and materials that could obstruct movement or create predator shelter near retained habitat.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

  • Undertake follow-up spotlighting in suitable warm-season conditions where the project removed or altered known habitat, using the same routes and recording methods as the pre-clearance survey.
  • Monitor retained rocky shelter, forest edges, flowering vegetation and rehabilitated areas for gecko activity, introduced predators and competing reptiles.
  • Compare post-work observations with pre-work records, while treating non detection cautiously because the species can remain concealed in rocks and tree features.
  • Provide the final fauna report to the approval holder, land manager and relevant state or territory wildlife database, and meet all EPBC reporting conditions.
  • Review whether offsets, habitat restoration or additional conservation actions are required under the approval or applicable legislation.

After habitat disturbance: Maintain controls

  • Keep retained habitat free from new weed invasion, unnecessary trampling, clearing, vehicle access and stored materials.
  • Maintain quarantine measures for equipment, soil, plants and cargo moved between islands or isolated habitat areas.
  • Monitor for rats, cats, pigs where relevant, Asian house geckos and introduced skinks, and report incursions through the approved biosecurity pathway.
  • Review rodent baiting controls with the ecologist because the species may ingest poisoned invertebrates, even though secondary poisoning risk has been assessed as low.

Rehabilitation actions: Recreate shelter and foraging habitat

Rehabilitation should recreate connected shelter and feeding habitat rather than simply replanting cleared ground. The highest priority is a mosaic of rocks, crevices, leaf litter, fallen timber, native vegetation and protected forest edges.

Known food resources: Invertebrates, nectar from plants including white oak and swan plant, and fruit from pigface have been recorded in the diet.

Known shelter and nesting features: Rock crevices, boulders, beachrock tunnels, fallen timber, leaf litter, tree splits and hollows.

  • Retain and reinstate locally appropriate boulders, loose rocks, rock slabs, logs, coarse woody debris and leaf litter in stable piles and crevices.
  • Recreate shaded rock and vegetation edges because geckos shelter under cover and make short movements onto open ground or vegetation to forage.
  • Replant native forest and woodland structure around retained rocks, including locally appropriate native food plants such as white oak, Lagunaria patersonia, and Phillip Island hibiscus, Hibiscus insularis, where suitable to the island and approval area.
  • Use native vegetation rather than African olive or other invasive plants, and retain suitable open tussock or rocky habitat where it forms part of the local habitat mosaic.
  • Do not use nest boxes as a substitute for natural rock shelters unless a qualified ecologist and relevant authority approve their design and placement.

Rehabilitation actions: Weed, predator and biosecurity control

  • Control weeds that replace native vegetation or close the edges of rocky shelter, with priority given to African olive on Phillip Island and weeds identified in the approved rehabilitation plan.
  • Maintain rodent, cat and pig control where those predators threaten the local population, and prevent rats or other invasive species reaching offshore islands.
  • Use quarantine procedures for vessels, boats, vehicles, machinery, cargo, soil and plant material moved to or from offshore islands.
  • Assess the risk of rodenticide exposure to insectivorous geckos and poisoned invertebrates before placing baits near retained or rehabilitated habitat.
  • Avoid burning or mulching retained fallen timber where it is needed for shelter or reproduction.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Recovery target in the Norfolk Island region plan: Maintain numbers and range to 2034, with an estimated population of 176,000 in 2023.

  • Inspect rehabilitation after heavy rain, storms and maintenance works to confirm that rocks, logs, leaf litter and plantings remain stable and accessible.
  • Monitor native plant establishment, weed cover, predator incursions, shelter feature condition and gecko detections during the warmer months.
  • Use repeat spotlighting between November and February and targeted daytime shelter searches to assess use of rehabilitated habitat.
  • Treat success as stable or increasing suitable habitat, functioning rock and woody shelter, effective weed and predator control, and maintained gecko numbers and range where monitoring is sufficient.
  • Adapt planting, shelter placement, weed control and quarantine measures if monitoring shows habitat loss, predator access or continued absence from suitable rehabilitated areas.

Sources