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Perth Slider (Lerista lineata)

The Perth slider is a Western Australian skink recorded in Perth and on nearby islands, with records also extending across parts of the south-west and south coast. Its ecology and detectability are poorly documented. Works teams should use precautionary survey and clearing procedures. It is listed as Priority 3 on the WA priority fauna list.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 3.

Seasonal activity and works planning

Seasonal activity, breeding and survey timing have not been documented for this species. Use project-specific ecological advice to plan work timing.

Breeding: Oviparous; breeding months are not recorded.

Survey timing: No species-specific detection season is recorded.

No species-specific seasonal pattern has been established.

  • Survey and works planning: Planning window only. No months are established as a species-specific activity or detection period.

Identification: Appearance and size

Field information is limited. A taxonomic key describes a pattern feature, but a field description and size range have not been recorded.

A Western Australian taxonomic key distinguishes Lerista lineata by the absence of a vertebral stripe and the presence of four dark dorsal lines.

No species-specific size range, body description or other field marks have been recorded.

Identification: Similar species

Other Lerista species occur in Western Australia. The taxonomic key uses scale and stripe characters to separate species, so identification should not rely on the four-line pattern alone.

Have uncertain specimens checked by a suitably experienced herpetologist. A brief sighting is not enough to assign a species identity if diagnostic features cannot be confirmed.

Identification: Field signs

Species-specific tracks, scats, burrows and other field signs have not been described.

A sighting or capture that can be reliably identified is the clearest evidence of presence. Record the observation and its location. A lack of detections does not establish absence.

Distribution: Known range

The species is recorded in Western Australia, including the Perth area, nearby islands and localities across the south-west and south coast.

The Reptile Database gives the distribution as Perth, Rottnest Island and Garden Island. The Western Australian Museum describes records from the southern Darling Range, from Dwellingup to Collie, and along the south coast from Israelite Bay west to near Cape Leeuwin, including Scott River.

Atlas of Living Australia records show 276 Western Australian records at 32 distinct 0.1 degree locations, spanning latitude -33.7 to -26.2 and longitude 113.7 to 117. Records outside Western Australia were excluded as likely errors.

Distribution: WA regions and site checks

The DBCA priority list flags the Midwest, Swan and South West regions. Locality and atlas records indicate a wider spread than the Perth name alone might suggest.

Check current records and the proposed works footprint at the site scale. Do not assume the species is absent because no nearby record is mapped.

Habitat: Habitat knowledge

Habitat preferences for Lerista lineata have not been documented.

Distribution records identify places but do not describe the habitats occupied there. These records do not establish a particular vegetation type, soil or landform for the species.

A general description of the genus Lerista as cryptozoic or fossorial does not establish the habitat used by this species at a development site.

Habitat: Site interpretation

Document the site’s vegetation, substrate, ground cover and existing disturbance during assessment. Treat these as site observations, not confirmed species habitat requirements.

Use a cautious approach where the site lies within or near known regional records, even if no apparent species-specific habitat feature is present.

Foraging habitat: Diet and foraging

The diet and foraging habitat of this species have not been documented.

No prey items, feeding behaviour or foraging locations have been documented for Lerista lineata.

Do not assume a particular food source or foraging microhabitat when assessing the works area.

Foraging habitat: Precaution on site

Avoid removing ground cover or disturbing potential refuge areas before the agreed survey and clearing sequence. This is a general precaution for small ground-dwelling reptiles, not a documented feeding requirement of this species.

Record any observed feeding behaviour, but do not extrapolate a single observation into a species-wide diet description.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

The species is reported to be oviparous, but its breeding habitat and timing are not recorded.

Lerista lineata is egg-laying.

Breeding months, nest locations, egg numbers and incubation information have not been recorded.

Breeding habitat: Works precautions

Identify a site feature as a nest site for this species only when there is direct evidence.

If eggs or a suspected nest are encountered during works, stop disturbance in the immediate area and seek advice from the project ecologist or fauna spotter catcher.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter knowledge

Species-specific shelter sites have not been described.

The substrates, cover objects, burrows and other refuges used by Lerista lineata are not known.

The genus-level description of Lerista as cryptozoic or fossorial does not confirm a particular shelter type for this species.

Sheltering habitat: Ground cover

As a general precaution when working in potential reptile habitat, inspect ground cover and objects that could conceal small reptiles before disturbing them.

Do not leave lifted cover objects displaced. Replace them carefully where safe to do so, unless the site’s approved fauna procedure requires another response.

Threats: Status

Specific threats to Lerista lineata have not been identified. Its WA category indicates that it is poorly known and known from several locations.

The DBCA list dated 1 July 2025 assigns the species Priority 3: poorly known, known from several locations, and not under imminent threat. This is a DBCA priority category, not a listing under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. No national listing is recorded.

Threats: Disturbance risk

The species’ responses to development have not been documented.

Clearing and ground disturbance can harm fauna that is present but undetected. Apply the project’s fauna management controls and use staged, supervised clearing as a precaution.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Species-specific survey methods and detectability are not known. A qualified ecologist should plan searches and interpret findings.

Review current mapped records, the site’s location relative to the known range and the DBCA regions flagged for the species. Atlas records indicate a broad Western Australian distribution, but do not establish presence or absence at a particular site.

Check whether previous surveys or project records are available for the footprint and adjoining areas.

Survey methodology: 2. Site inspection

A suitably experienced reptile ecologist should inspect the proposed disturbance area and document the ground surface, cover and substrate without assuming these are known habitat requirements.

General skink survey practice may include careful visual searches and hand searches of suitable ground cover, where safe, authorised and appropriate to the site. Restore any cover that is moved and avoid damaging potential refuges.

Survey methodology: 3. Detection and records

No optimal season, weather condition or survey effort has been established for detecting this species. The project ecologist should select survey timing as a planning decision, not as a species-specific detection window.

Record the date, location, method, observer and identification confidence for any detection. A non-detection does not establish absence.

Vegetation associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific vegetation association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific soil association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Water and wetland associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific water association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Plan and brief

Because habitat and detectability are poorly documented, plan works with site-level ecological advice and clear fauna response procedures.

Have the project ecologist review known records, the footprint and any survey results before clearing. Confirm the required approvals, fauna handling arrangements and escalation contacts.

Brief operators on the chance of encountering small reptiles, the stop-work process and the need to avoid unapproved handling.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Prepare the footprint

Mark approved clearing limits and any no-go areas. Keep vehicles and materials within the authorised work area.

Where the project plan allows, have the fauna spotter catcher inspect the area immediately before disturbance. This is a general precaution and does not guarantee detection of the species.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Clear carefully

Use controlled, supervised disturbance and respond conservatively to any reptile encountered.

Follow the approved clearing sequence and work limits. Use a fauna spotter catcher where required by the project plan, and pause work if an animal is seen or suspected in the active work area.

Avoid unnecessary crushing or rapid removal of ground cover ahead of inspection. Do not assume an animal will move away from machinery.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Respond to encounters

Stop work around the animal, keep people and machinery clear, and contact the project ecologist or fauna spotter catcher.

Only trained and authorised personnel should capture or move fauna, and only under the applicable approvals and project procedures. Record the observation and follow the agreed release or escalation process.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Record and report

Close out fauna observations and check that disturbed areas and boundaries match the approved work plan.

Document sightings, captures, handling, release locations and any injury or mortality using the project’s reporting process.

Have uncertain identifications reviewed by an expert rather than recording them as confirmed Perth slider detections.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Review controls

The project ecologist should review whether the clearing procedure was followed and whether any further inspection or response is needed.

Use the results to inform future site works. A lack of detections does not establish that the species is absent from areas where no animals were detected.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore the site

Species-specific rehabilitation requirements are not recorded. Rehabilitate disturbed areas according to the project plan and applicable approvals.

Where rehabilitation is required, reinstate the approved landform, substrate and vegetation using the project’s ecological design and local reference conditions.

No particular plant community, soil type or refuge feature has been confirmed as a requirement for Lerista lineata.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Monitor outcomes

Record rehabilitation actions and any fauna observations made during follow-up inspections.

If the species is detected, provide the observation to the project ecologist for consideration in future management. A lack of detections does not establish that rehabilitation has restored suitable habitat for this species.

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