Lyon's Soil-crevice Skink (Austroablepharus barrylyoni)

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Critically endangered.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

The breeding season of Lyon’s Soil-crevice Skink has not been recorded. As a north Queensland skink, activity and possible breeding may increase in warmer months, but timing can vary between years and locations.

Breeding mode: Not recorded.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding place: Not recorded. The species uses open natural grassland with heavy cracking black soil.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Timing may vary between years and regions, so use site-specific pitfall trapping and conservative year-round protection where habitat is proposed for clearing.

• Possible breeding activity: This is a general skink pattern only, not a confirmed breeding period for Lyon’s Soil-crevice Skink.
• Surface activity and survey detectability: The species is surface-active, but thick grass and cracking soil make visual searches ineffective throughout the year.
• Habitat use and sheltering: Retain open grassland and cracking black soil in every month because specific shelter and seasonal movement patterns are unknown.
• Highest clearing risk: Treat clearing and construction as high risk year round because habitat loss and direct mortality can occur outside any breeding period.

Identification: Appearance and identification

Lyon’s Soil-crevice Skink is a five-fingered, five-toed, surface-active skink. It is poorly known in the field, and reliable identification should be confirmed by an experienced herpetologist or relevant museum or government authority.

The species was described from north Queensland material collected between 1979 and 1981. Available field information identifies it as a five-fingered, five-toed skink, but does not provide a full diagnostic description, measurements or photographic identification characters.

• Treat any small skink captured in suitable cracking blacksoil grassland as potentially significant until it has been identified.
• Keep clear photographs and record the capture location, habitat, date and trap number.
• Use an experienced reptile ecologist or taxonomic specialist for confirmation where identification is uncertain.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No call, echolocation feature or formal list of similar species is available for field use. Do not rely on calls to locate this skink.

• Do not release an uncertain capture until its identity and any required handling or reporting arrangements have been checked.
• Avoid identifying the species from habitat alone. Confirm the animal itself where possible.

Identification: Field signs

The species is difficult to detect by signs. No distinctive droppings, nests, stains, odours, calls or other field signs are described.

• Visual searching through grass is unlikely to provide a reliable presence or absence result.
• Pitfall trapping produced the known recent records and should be led by suitably experienced personnel.
• Check traps frequently and provide appropriate shelter and protection from exposure, in line with the approved survey method and animal ethics requirements.

Identification: Handling and records

Record every capture, including non-target skinks, because the species is critically endangered and its distribution is poorly understood.

• Record GPS location, trap type and number, date, time, habitat condition and photographs.
• Note grazing pressure, weed cover, soil cracking, grass structure and any proposed disturbance nearby.
• Report confirmed records through the relevant Queensland and Commonwealth processes and follow permit conditions.

Distribution: Australian range

Known records are concentrated in north Queensland. The species has a very restricted known distribution and has been recorded entirely outside protected areas, so apparently unreserved grassland may still have high conservation value.

The species is known from Queensland, in north Queensland. Before the 2023 survey, all specimens had come from one locality on Springfield Station.

• State: Queensland.
• Known locality: Springfield Station and its surrounding grassland habitat.
• The species has not been reported from other Australian states or territories.

Distribution: Recent survey records

A 2023 survey recorded five specimens at all three pit-trap sites used for the survey. These were the first records in 42 years.

• Survey dates: 20 to 29 April 2023.
• Five specimens were recorded.
• The species occurs entirely outside protected areas.

Distribution: Site planning

A lack of previous records should not be treated as evidence that a site is unoccupied. Targeted searches between 1979 and 1984 did not find additional specimens, and the species can be missed by visual survey.

• Check project areas against current Queensland and Commonwealth species databases before planning clearing.
• Treat connected or nearby open grassland on cracking blacksoil as potential habitat until an appropriate survey has been completed.
• Plan survey access and trapping before vegetation removal or ground disturbance.

Habitat: Vegetation and ground features

The strongest known habitat association is open natural grassland on heavy cracking blacksoil. Habitat condition can be altered by grazing and weeds, so assess both the soil and grass structure across the full work area.

Look for open grassland with sparse tree cover, thick grass and naturally cracking blacksoil. The species is associated with terrestrial ground habitat rather than dense woodland or a documented aquatic feature.

• Open natural grassland.
• Sparse tree cover.
• Thick grass cover.
• Heavy cracking blacksoil.

Habitat: Landscape assessment

Map areas of suitable grassland, including patches outside formal reserves. The known habitat occurs on working land and may be subject to grazing, weed invasion and earthworks.

• Inspect the proposed clearing footprint, access tracks, laydown areas, spoil areas and temporary work areas.
• Record soil cracking, grass cover, tree density, weed cover and cattle use.
• Include nearby connected grassland in the habitat assessment, not only the area to be cleared.

Habitat: Works planning

Avoid clearing suitable grassland where practicable. Keep machinery, materials and vehicle movements out of retained habitat and prevent accidental widening of the approved disturbance area.

• Clearly mark the approved clearing boundary before works begin.
• Use existing disturbed access routes where possible.
• Keep retained grassland free from spoil, fill, trenching, vehicle parking and unnecessary soil compaction.
• Manage weeds and grazing in a way that maintains the grassland and cracking-soil habitat.

Foraging habitat: Foraging setting

The skink is surface-active, but its diet and detailed foraging behaviour are poorly known. Manage the grassland surface and cracking soil as potential foraging habitat rather than assuming that only shelter sites matter.

Look for surface-active skinks in open grassland with thick grass and cracking blacksoil. The available field information does not identify particular prey, feeding times or fine-scale foraging features.

• Retain natural grass cover across suitable habitat.
• Avoid unnecessary grading, ripping, compaction and soil removal.
• Keep weed control and grazing practices from removing the grass and soil structure on which the habitat depends.

Foraging habitat: Survey implications

Visual searching is ineffective in this habitat because thick grass and cracking soil reduce detection. A negative visual search should not be used to clear a site of survey requirements.

• Use pitfall trapping for targeted detection, under the direction of an appropriately qualified ecologist.
• Set survey effort and trap design through the relevant approval, permit and fauna ethics processes.
• Inspect traps at the frequency required by the approved method and release animals safely at the capture location unless authorised arrangements state otherwise.

Foraging habitat: Construction controls

Surface works can remove cover and alter cracking soil even where no trees are cleared. Keep all ground disturbance within the approved footprint and rehabilitate temporary work areas with appropriate local grassland methods.

• Avoid unnecessary topsoil stripping in retained habitat.
• Prevent sediment, fill, chemicals and construction waste entering grassland or soil cracks.
• Monitor retained habitat for weed spread, erosion and altered drainage during and after works.

Breeding habitat: Known breeding information

Breeding places and breeding timing are not sufficiently documented for practical field identification. Until better information is available, treat suitable grassland and cracking soil across the site as potential breeding habitat.

No specific nest, burrow, clutch, incubation period, breeding season or other breeding-place feature has been established in the available field information.

• Do not assume that the absence of a visible nest means breeding habitat is absent.
• Do not disturb, fill or collapse soil cracks, refuges or other potential shelter features without ecological advice.
• Escalate any concentration of skinks, eggs, hatchlings or suspected breeding activity to the project ecologist.

Breeding habitat: Pre-clearing approach

For a critically endangered species, survey and avoidance should be planned before clearing. Use targeted pitfall trapping in suitable habitat because visual inspection alone is not reliable.

• Complete the required ecological assessment before finalising clearing limits.
• Schedule trapping and any additional investigations early enough to inform design changes.
• Stop and seek advice if the species is captured or suspected within the work area.

Breeding habitat: During works

Use a fauna spotter catcher who is authorised and experienced with reptiles where handling or removal is approved. Follow the project fauna management plan and all permit conditions.

• Maintain marked exclusion areas around retained habitat.
• Do not relocate animals unless the approved method authorises it and a suitable release location has been selected.
• Record all captures, injuries, mortalities and observations and report them through the agreed project pathway.

Sheltering habitat: Features to retain

Specific sheltering structures have not been documented. Cracking blacksoil and thick grass are likely to provide important ground-level cover, so retain both the soil profile and vegetation structure wherever possible.

Inspect natural soil cracks, dense grass bases and other ground-level cover across the grassland. Do not disturb these features merely because they are not visibly occupied.

• Heavy cracking blacksoil.
• Thick grass cover.
• Undisturbed ground within open grassland.
• Connected patches of retained vegetation.

Sheltering habitat: Potential disturbance

Clearing, grading, trenching, compaction, spoil placement and altered drainage can remove or obstruct potential shelter. These impacts may occur beyond the area where trees or shrubs are removed.

• Fence or clearly mark habitat exclusion zones.
• Keep machinery and stored materials out of retained grassland.
• Avoid filling cracks, stripping soil or changing surface water flow.
• Control weeds and manage grazing to retain suitable grass cover.

Sheltering habitat: Fauna management

If a skink is found in a shelter feature, stop work in the immediate area and follow the approved fauna procedure. Capture and relocation should only be undertaken by authorised personnel using suitable reptile methods.

• Photograph the animal and habitat where safe to do so.
• Record the exact location and the disturbance that was occurring or proposed.
• Seek direction from the project ecologist before work resumes.

Threats: Clearing and habitat loss

Lyon’s Soil-crevice Skink is critically endangered and has a very restricted known distribution. The main works-site risks are loss and degradation of open grassland, damage to cracking soils, and failure to detect animals before disturbance.

The species is known from grassland that occurs outside protected areas. Clearing for construction, access, services, stock infrastructure or temporary work areas can remove habitat directly.

• Avoid suitable grassland in project design where practicable.
• Minimise the approved disturbance footprint.
• Clearly mark clearing limits and inspect them during works.
• Do not assume previously grazed or disturbed land has no conservation value.

Threats: Grazing and weed invasion

Cattle grazing and weed invasion have changed the known habitat. Poorly managed grazing and weeds can alter grass cover, soil condition and the structure of the ground layer.

• Control weed spread from machinery, vehicles and imported materials.
• Use a site-specific grazing and rehabilitation approach that maintains grassland structure.
• Monitor retained habitat after construction for weeds, bare ground and erosion.

Threats: Soil disturbance and hydrology

Heavy cracking blacksoil is part of the known habitat. Compaction, excavation, filling, grading and changed drainage can remove cracks or alter the ground conditions used by the skink.

• Keep heavy vehicles and spoil out of retained habitat.
• Avoid unnecessary soil stripping, ripping and compaction.
• Maintain natural surface drainage where possible.
• Stabilise disturbed areas promptly using approved local rehabilitation methods.

Threats: Detection failure and construction mortality

Visual survey is ineffective in thick grass and cracking soil. Animals may therefore remain undetected during routine pre-clearing checks and be exposed to machinery or earthworks.

• Use targeted pitfall trapping before clearing in suitable habitat.
• Do not rely on a brief visual search or a lack of incidental records.
• Use an authorised fauna spotter catcher during approved clearing and follow stop-work procedures for captures.
• Report confirmed records promptly because new records may materially change the project assessment.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Lyon’s soil-crevice skink is a very poorly known, critically endangered skink. It occurs in open grassland with sparse tree cover, thick grass and heavy cracking blacksoil. Visual searches are ineffective in this habitat, so detection should be based on carefully planned pitfall trapping.

Before fieldwork, map open natural grassland, cracking blacksoil, thick grass cover and areas with sparse tree cover. Treat suitable habitat as potential habitat, even where the species has not previously been recorded.

Review grazing pressure, weed invasion, proposed clearing, access tracks, stock areas and any previous records. The known population occurs outside protected areas, so unprotected grassland should not be treated as low risk.

• Obtain current Queensland and Commonwealth records before finalising the survey design.
• Mark all suitable and potentially suitable habitat on the construction plan.
• Engage a suitably experienced herpetologist where habitat is present or records are nearby.

Survey methodology: 2. Pitfall trapping

Use pitfall trapping as the primary detection method. The species was detected at all 3 pit trap sites during the April 2023 survey, with 5 specimens recorded. Pitfall design, placement, duration and checking frequency must be set by the authorised ecologist to suit the site, animal welfare requirements and approval conditions.

Place traps through representative open grassland and cracking-soil habitat, including areas with thick grass cover. Do not rely on daytime visual searches as evidence that the species is absent.

• Use fauna-safe traps with shade, shelter and escape provisions.
• Check traps at a frequency that prevents heat stress, dehydration, predation and injury.
• Suspend trapping during unsafe weather or conditions that could harm captured animals.
• Obtain any required scientific, animal welfare and protected wildlife authorities before trapping.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing and survey conditions

The species was successfully surveyed from 20 to 29 April 2023. Because its seasonal activity and breeding period are poorly known, plan survey timing with a qualified herpetologist and consider repeat surveys where the risk of clearing is high.

Survey when traps can be operated safely and checked reliably. Avoid conditions that create excessive heat, flooding or other risks to trapped animals.

• Allow enough survey effort to cover all suitable habitat within and near the disturbance footprint.
• Repeat surveys where habitat is extensive, fragmented, difficult to access or connected to known habitat.
• Do not use a single negative visual search to clear habitat.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and interpretation

Record enough information to support decisions about avoidance, approvals and management. A capture should be treated as evidence of habitat use, not as an isolated animal that can be disregarded.

A failure to detect the species does not remove the need to manage suitable habitat where survey conditions or effort were limited.

• Record trap locations, survey dates, trap design, operating period, checking times, weather and habitat condition.
• For every capture, record the location, identification, photographs where permitted, condition, sex or life stage if confidently determined, and release or relocation details.
• Map captures and all suitable habitat in the project geographic information system.
• Report any new record to the relevant Queensland wildlife authority and the Commonwealth species database or authority as required.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Avoiding habitat is the safest management response for this critically endangered species. No established breeding season, breeding place type, migration period or construction buffer is available, so decisions should be based on the habitat, survey results and advice from Queensland and Commonwealth regulators.

Check whether the action may have a significant impact on the species or its habitat under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Seek a referral or confirmation from the Commonwealth regulator before starting works where the threshold may be met.

In Queensland, confirm the requirements under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020. Obtain all required protected wildlife, scientific, animal welfare and handling authorities.

If works may tamper with a breeding place, obtain advice from the Queensland regulator about whether a species management program is required. Do not assume that a permit to clear land authorises handling or disturbance of this species.

• Keep copies of approvals, permit conditions, maps and contact details at the site office.
• Use only authorised fauna spotter catchers and handlers.
• Include all permit conditions in the construction environmental management plan.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and exclusion

Retain open grassland, cracking blacksoil and thick grass habitat wherever practicable. Avoid clearing known habitat, capture locations and connected patches, particularly because the species occurs entirely outside protected areas.

Set disturbance limits with the project ecologist and regulator. Use clearly marked exclusion areas rather than relying on informal instructions.

• Fence and sign no-go areas before machinery enters the site.
• Keep stock, vehicles, spoil, materials and temporary facilities out of retained habitat.
• Prevent weed spread and avoid changing drainage, soil cracking or grass structure in retained areas.
• Do not nominate a generic buffer unless it has been approved for the site and species.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey

Complete a pre-clearance survey using pitfall trapping in all suitable habitat within the disturbance footprint and in adjoining habitat that could support the species. The survey must be designed and supervised by a suitably experienced herpetologist.

Because breeding places and breeding timing are poorly known, inspect habitat for animals, shelter sites and any signs of concentrated use. Treat any capture or suspected breeding activity as a trigger for reassessment.

• Complete the survey close enough to clearing for the results to remain relevant, while allowing time to obtain any additional approvals.
• Search visually for supporting habitat and hazards, but do not use visual searching alone to clear the area.
• Brief the spotter catcher and supervisor on the species, its habitat, the exclusion zones and the stop-work procedure.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Timing and crew induction

No reliable breeding or migration period has been established for Lyon’s soil-crevice skink. Schedule works outside periods of unsafe trapping or ground conditions, and seek regulator advice if captures, gravid animals or suspected breeding activity are recorded.

Every person entering the clearing area should understand that a very small skink may be present below dense grass or near cracking soil.

• Induct all workers before clearing starts.
• Show workers the approved habitat map and no-go areas.
• Explain the stop-work authority of the fauna spotter catcher.
• Prohibit unauthorised collection, handling, photography for personal use and movement of soil or habitat material.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear in a controlled sequence and keep a qualified fauna spotter catcher present while habitat is disturbed. The spotter catcher must be able to stop work immediately when an animal, suspected breeding place or unexpected habitat feature is found.

Clear from the least disturbed edge towards retained habitat so animals have an opportunity to move into suitable areas. Use slow, staged clearing and pause regularly for inspection of exposed ground, grass tussocks and soil cracks.

Do not push animals into active machinery, stock areas, roads or unsuitable ground. Avoid unnecessary disturbance to retained grassland and cracking soil.

• Mark the approved clearing footprint before machinery starts.
• Remove hazardous materials and obstacles under fauna supervision where this can be done safely.
• Clear small areas progressively rather than opening the entire site at once.
• Stop work if visibility, weather, dust or machinery movement prevents effective supervision.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and release

Only an authorised and suitably experienced person may capture, handle, identify or relocate the species. Keep handling to the minimum needed for safety, identification, approval compliance and release.

Use species-appropriate containers and temperature protection. Do not place animals in direct sun, water, loose soil or unapproved holding containers.

• Photograph and record the animal where this can be done without delay or harm.
• Release the animal only at the location and in the manner authorised by the relevant permit or management plan.
• Do not move an animal to a new site simply because it is convenient for the project.
• Seek veterinary advice for animals showing injury, weakness, overheating or abnormal behaviour.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Breeding places and concentrated use

If an active breeding place, suspected breeding place, colony, aggregation or repeated use area is found, stop work in the immediate area. The breeding ecology of this species is poorly known, so do not disturb or dismantle the feature while waiting for advice.

The project ecologist must contact the Queensland regulator and confirm whether a species management program, additional approval or revised method is required.

• Protect the location with a marked exclusion area.
• Prevent machinery, people, stock, vibration, spoil and water diversion from entering the exclusion area.
• Do not excavate, fill, burn, compact or remove soil, grass cover or shelter features until clearance is given.
• Record the location, habitat, evidence observed and photographs where permitted.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or dead animals

Treat an injured Lyon’s soil-crevice skink as a protected wildlife incident. Minimise handling and place it in a secure, ventilated, temperature-controlled container under the direction of the authorised handler.

Report deaths, injuries and escapees promptly to the site supervisor, project ecologist and relevant regulator where required.

• Contact a wildlife veterinarian or approved wildlife carer through the project incident pathway.
• Do not release an injured animal without veterinary or permit-holder direction.
• Preserve the location and circumstances of any death for investigation.
• Stop work if repeated injuries or deaths indicate that the clearing method is unsafe.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records

Maintain a daily fauna log throughout clearing. Records should support permit reporting, adaptive management and review of whether the clearing method is protecting the species.

• Record the date, work area, machinery, weather, spotter catcher, search time, captures, handling, releases, injuries and mortalities.
• Record all stop-work events and the action taken before work resumed.
• Update the site map with cleared areas, retained habitat, exclusion zones and animal locations.
• Keep records with the project environmental file for the period required by approvals.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance inspection

Post-clearance checks help confirm that no animals remain trapped in the work area and that retained habitat has not been damaged. Review the work promptly so that any control failure is corrected before the next clearing stage.

Inspect the cleared footprint and its edges after each clearing stage. Check exposed soil cracks, grass tussocks, stockpiles, trenches, drains, erosion controls and machinery laydown areas.

Use pitfall trapping or other targeted methods again where the ecologist considers that animals may remain, where clearing was staged poorly, or where new suitable habitat has been exposed.

• Complete the inspection before the next construction stage begins.
• Close or make safe trenches, pits and other fauna traps as soon as practicable.
• Remove temporary fencing only after the ecologist confirms that it is safe to do so.
• Record the condition of retained habitat and any edge effects.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and reporting

Prepare the required approval and permit reports, including all captures, injuries, deaths, relocations, breeding-place findings, stop-work events and corrective actions.

Because the species is critically endangered and its distribution is poorly known, report new records and significant observations to the relevant Queensland and Commonwealth authorities as required.

• Compare actual clearing with the approved footprint and habitat map.
• Report any unapproved clearing or damage immediately through the project incident process.
• Provide capture data and photographs to the project ecologist and regulator where required.
• Continue targeted monitoring where approval conditions require it or where the project may affect retained habitat.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated animals

Review every relocation to confirm that it complied with the relevant authority and that the receiving habitat remains suitable. Do not assume that an animal has survived because it was released without an immediate problem.

The species has limited known records, so relocation outcomes should be documented carefully.

• Record the release location, date, time, habitat, weather, container time and animal condition.
• Inspect release areas for trampling, grazing, weeds, altered drainage and other risks.
• Undertake follow-up monitoring where required by the permit, management plan or project ecologist.
• Do not move additional animals to a release site unless its capacity and approval have been assessed.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review the project after each clearing stage and after any capture, injury, death or suspected breeding-place disturbance. Use the findings to change the method before further works.

Include the fauna spotter catcher, site supervisor, project ecologist and relevant land manager in the review.

• Identify whether survey effort, induction, exclusion fencing, machinery control or handling caused the problem.
• Update the clearing sequence and environmental controls.
• Retrain workers where a procedure was misunderstood or not followed.
• Record the review outcome and close out corrective actions.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore natural habitat

Rehabilitation should recreate open grassland habitat with suitable grass cover and functioning cracking blacksoil. The species has no confirmed nest, burrow, hollow or other artificial replacement structure, so restoration of natural ground habitat should take priority over installing nest boxes or other structures.

Reinstate open grassland and sparse tree cover in areas that are no longer needed for construction. Protect soil structure so natural cracking can develop where this is consistent with the approved rehabilitation design.

Use local, suitable native grass seed or planting material and avoid creating dense woody vegetation that changes the character of the habitat.

• Strip, store and replace topsoil in a way that retains viable native grass material where practicable.
• Avoid compaction and unnecessary grading in rehabilitation areas.
• Retain natural microtopography, soil cracks and grass tussocks.
• Fence rehabilitation areas from stock until vegetation and soil condition are established.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Weeds and grazing

Manage weeds that replace native grassland or alter grass cover. The survey report identified weed invasion and cattle grazing as habitat concerns, so rehabilitation should address both where they affect site condition.

• Prepare a weed control plan using methods that do not unnecessarily disturb cracking soil.
• Clean machinery before entering retained or rehabilitated habitat.
• Set grazing pressure to maintain suitable open grassland and avoid excessive trampling or loss of grass cover.
• Inspect rehabilitation areas regularly and treat new weed outbreaks early.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Water, drainage and lighting

Maintain natural drainage and avoid actions that fill cracks, cause prolonged inundation or increase erosion. The species is terrestrial and is associated with open grassland and cracking blacksoil.

Limit artificial lighting around retained and rehabilitated habitat. Use only the lighting needed for safety and direct it away from grassland.

• Do not discharge sediment, chemicals or construction water into retained habitat.
• Stabilise drains and crossings without blocking natural water movement.
• Use shielded, downward-directed lights where lighting cannot be avoided.
• Inspect after heavy rain and repair erosion or drainage changes promptly.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Replacement structures

There is no established evidence that Lyon’s soil-crevice skink uses nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or roost structures. Do not install these structures as a substitute for retaining cracking soil and grass cover.

If a project proposes artificial shelters or breeding structures, obtain advice from a herpetologist and the relevant regulator first. Any design should be based on confirmed species ecology and approved as part of the management plan.

• Prioritise natural grass cover, soil cracks and undisturbed ground.
• Do not place boxes, artificial roosts or shelters without a documented ecological purpose and approval.
• Monitor any approved experimental structure and remove it if it creates hazards or attracts predators, pests or inappropriate species.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation for establishment of open grassland, persistence of cracking soil, weed invasion, grazing impacts and use by the skink. Set the monitoring period and methods with the project ecologist and regulator because the species is critically endangered and poorly known.

Use pitfall trapping only where it is authorised, designed for animal welfare and needed to assess occupancy. Visual inspection alone is not a reliable abundance or presence measure in thick grass and cracking-soil habitat.

• Photograph fixed monitoring points and map vegetation and soil condition.
• Record weeds, grazing, erosion, drainage, lighting and any fauna observations.
• Compare results with the approved rehabilitation targets.
• Escalate declining habitat condition or new skink records and revise management promptly.

Sources

• Species Profiles (SPRAT) Search, Australian Government DCCEEW: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/spratlookupspecies.pl?name=skink
• Changes made to wildlife categories on 30 June 2023, Queensland Government: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/conservation/threatened-species/classes/conservation-status/changes-categories-jun-2023
• [PDF] Queensland Threatened Lizard Survey - Resilient Landscapes Hub, nesplandscapes.edu.au: https://nesplandscapes.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/NESP-1.8-Queensland-Threatened-Lizard-Survey-Final-report-December-2024.pdf
• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/