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Saltbush Morethia Skink (Morethia adelaidensis)

The Saltbush Morethia Skink is a small, diurnal, terrestrial skink that reaches 60 mm snout to vent length and feeds on arthropods. It occupies shrubland and dry, open habitats with ground cover, and has been recorded at Rowles Lagoon in Western Australia at the western limit of its range. Clearing can remove the ground cover and soil surface features it uses for movement, foraging and shelter.

Conservation status

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Endangered.

Breeding season

Saltbush Morethia Skinks lay eggs in late spring or early summer, but the timing of mating, incubation, hatching and adult seasonal activity is poorly documented. For clearing, treat late spring to summer as a period of increased risk around potential egg sites and ground-cover refuges, and confirm local conditions before works.

Reproductive mode: Oviparous, egg laying.

Clutch size: 1 to 6 eggs, with a mean of 3.2 to 3.4 eggs.

Incubation: Not recorded.

Size at hatching or birth: Hatchlings have been recorded at 17 mm snout to vent length and 0.2 g.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Nest or egg sites: Eggs are reportedly buried in sandy substrates and among rocky granite outcrops. These observations are anecdotal.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Confirm timing at the work site using local records, rainfall and temperature conditions, because the species has a broad Australian distribution and several parts of its annual cycle remain undocumented.

  • Mating: Species-specific mating dates are not recorded. Based on the related Morethia boulengeri, mating occurs from late October to early November, but this timing is not confirmed for Saltbush Morethia Skink.
  • Gravid females: Gravid females are not documented for this species. As a planning guide, females may carry developing eggs shortly before the documented late spring to early summer laying period.
  • Egg laying: Females lay 1 to 6 eggs in late spring or early summer, corresponding to November and December in the Australian seasonal calendar. No peak month is established.
  • Incubation: Incubation length and hatching dates are not recorded. Eggs may remain in sandy soil or among rocky granite outcrops after laying in November or December, so potential egg sites should be treated as occupied until assessed locally.
  • Hatchlings: Hatchling emergence is not recorded. December is shown as a general planning window following late spring to early summer laying, not as a confirmed emergence month.
  • Active period: Adults are diurnal and active during the day, but no species-specific active season is recorded. The September to April pattern is a general warm-season planning guide for a small Australian skink and may vary with local temperature and rainfall.
  • Winter inactivity: Brumation, hibernation and aestivation are not recorded. May to August is a general cool-season planning window for lower surface activity in temperate parts of the range, when animals may remain in ground cover, litter or soil refuges.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest from November to December because egg laying is documented in late spring or early summer and eggs may be buried in soil or among rocky outcrops. Ground-cover clearing during the cooler months can also harm inactive animals, particularly where shelter is not inspected first.

Identification

The available sources provide size, activity and habitat information, but do not provide a diagnostic colour, pattern or scale description. Identification during clearing works should therefore use a current reptile key and, where needed, confirmation by an experienced herpetologist.

This is a small four-legged skink with a maximum recorded snout to vent length of 60 mm. The reported adult female mean is 49 mm, and hatchlings have a reported snout to vent length of 17 mm.

It is diurnal, terrestrial and an active forager. It is not venomous and has no fangs.

Maximum snout to vent length: 60 mm

Adult female mean snout to vent length: 49 mm

Hatchling snout to vent length: 17 mm

Identification: Similar species

The Rowles Lagoon species list includes Woodland Morethia Skink, Morethia butleri, as well as several other small skinks. The supplied documents do not give distinguishing characters for separating these species in the field.

Do not rely on size alone for identification. Retain a clear photograph, record the location and habitat, and seek expert confirmation where the species cannot be identified confidently.

Identification: Field signs

No species-specific information is provided on tracks, scats, calls, nests, sloughs, eyeshine or other field signs. Direct observation is therefore the most reliable detection method supported by the documents.

Search should focus on ground cover and the soil surface during daylight, when the species is active. Avoid assuming that an absence of visible animals means the habitat is unoccupied.

Distribution: Known range

The supplied records indicate a broad Australian range but provide only limited state and bioregional detail. The clearest locality information is for the Nullarbor Plain and Rowles Lagoon in Western Australia.

The species is reported from the Australo-Pacific region and mainland Australia. Its recorded elevation range is 489 to 1,130 m above sea level, and the reported range size is 1,707,090 km².

At Rowles Lagoon in Western Australia, it is described as being at the western limit of its range and as usually occurring on the Nullarbor Plain.

Reported range size: 1,707,090 km²

Reported elevation range: 489 to 1,130 m above sea level

Rowles Lagoon significance: Western limit of the range in that area; usually associated with the Nullarbor Plain

  • For project assessments, confirm records against the current state or territory atlas because the supplied documents do not map the full national distribution by state or bioregion.
  • Treat suitable dry shrubland and ground-cover habitat as potentially occupied within the mapped range, even where a recent local record is absent.

Distribution: Population information

The available conservation data describe the species as Least Concern globally, with a stable population trend and an assessment year of 2017. No national population estimate, local abundance estimate, density, home range or subpopulation size is provided.

The Rowles Lagoon report records the species from museum accessions collected in 1994 and 1995. These records confirm occurrence but do not measure current abundance.

Global conservation status in the supplied source: Least Concern

Reported population trend: Stable

Local abundance or population size: Not reported

Habitat: Habitat types

The Saltbush Morethia Skink is associated with terrestrial shrubland and dry, open habitats. The available information points to the ground layer as an important part of occupied habitat.

The species is recorded as terrestrial and associated with shrubland in the deserts and xeric shrublands biome. It is described as living among ground cover.

At Rowles Lagoon, it occurs within a wetland system that supports terrestrial reptile habitat. The report notes variable vegetation composition caused by flooding and drying, tree death and regeneration, weed invasion, grazing and introduced fauna.

Habitat classification: Terrestrial shrubland

Biome: Deserts and xeric shrublands

Elevation recorded in the supplied data: 489 to 1,130 m

  • Map shrubland, dry open ground and patches of persistent ground cover within the development footprint.
  • Inspect the margins of wetlands and saline or gypsum landforms where dry terrestrial cover is present, rather than treating the wetland itself as the only relevant habitat.

Habitat: Structural features

The documents do not provide measurements for vegetation height, canopy cover, litter depth, bare ground, rock cover or patch size. The consistent habitat feature identified is ground cover.

Retain connected ground cover, leaf litter, low shrubs and undisturbed soil where practicable. These features should be treated as potential habitat until field inspection demonstrates otherwise.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding behaviour

The species feeds on arthropods by active foraging during the day. The supplied documents do not identify particular prey taxa, prey densities or a normal foraging distance.

The diet is carnivorous and consists of arthropods. The species is recorded as an active forager and is diurnal.

Foraging is likely to occur on or among ground cover, which is the only specific foraging microhabitat identified in the supplied sources.

Food: Arthropods

Foraging mode: Active foraging

Foraging period: Daylight

  • Search the ground layer and low vegetation during daylight when assessing habitat use.
  • Avoid removing ground cover before fauna searches are complete, because disturbance can reduce both shelter and access to arthropod prey.

Foraging habitat: Foraging area

No home range, foraging range, density or prey abundance data are provided. The full area of connected ground cover within and next to the works area should therefore be considered relevant to foraging until survey data indicate otherwise.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

The species lays eggs, but the supplied documents do not establish its breeding months, incubation period, age at maturity or lifespan. Breeding habitat should be assessed as part of the occupied ground-cover habitat.

The species is oviparous. Reported clutch sizes range from 1 to 6 eggs, with a mean clutch of 3.2 to 3.4 eggs.

The documents do not report the nesting substrate, egg dimensions, incubation period, number of clutches per year, age at maturity or lifespan.

Breeding mode: Egg laying

Clutch size: 1 to 6 eggs

Mean clutch size: 3.2 to 3.4 eggs

Breeding season: Not reported in the supplied documents

Incubation period: Not reported

Age at maturity: Not reported

Lifespan: Not reported

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

No specific nest site or egg-laying feature is identified. Retain intact ground cover, litter, friable soil and low shrub cover in areas where adults are detected, because these are the closest documented habitat features available for field planning.

Do not disturb likely breeding habitat during earthworks without a species-specific management decision, as the timing of laying and hatching is not established by the supplied documents.

Sheltering habitat: Likely shelter layer

The species is terrestrial and occurs among ground cover. No source provides a confirmed refuge type, burrow, crevice, hollow, shelter dimensions or seasonal shelter behaviour.

The documented sheltering context is ground cover. This may include low vegetation, litter and surface irregularities, but the supplied sources do not confirm which structures are used by this species.

Ground disturbance, grading, scraping and removal of low vegetation can eliminate shelter even when larger shrubs are retained.

Confirmed shelter association: Among ground cover

Shelter dimensions: Not reported

  • Inspect ground cover, litter, loose surface material and the bases of shrubs before clearing.
  • Retain undisturbed habitat patches and link them to surrounding ground cover where the project layout allows.

Sheltering habitat: Handling during works

No species-specific capture or shelter-extraction method is provided. Fauna spotter catchers should follow the approved reptile procedure for the relevant state or territory and obtain expert advice if animals are found in dense ground cover, soil piles or machinery exclusion zones.

Threats: Clearing and ground disturbance

The supplied documents do not quantify threats to Saltbush Morethia Skink populations. They do identify habitat pressures at Rowles Lagoon that are relevant when planning works in or near occupied terrestrial habitat.

Clearing can remove shrubland, ground cover and the soil surface used by this terrestrial skink for movement, foraging and shelter. The species' small size makes it difficult to detect once vegetation and surface cover have been disturbed.

Fragmentation of remaining ground cover can reduce the amount of usable habitat and increase exposure to predators and machinery. The supplied documents do not provide a threshold distance or minimum habitat patch size.

  • Complete targeted searches before clearing in suitable shrubland and ground-cover habitat.
  • Fence the approved clearing boundary and prevent vehicle access to retained habitat.
  • Keep spoil, laydown areas and access tracks out of retained ground cover.

Threats: Fire, grazing and introduced animals

The sources do not describe a species-specific fire response. Fire planning should therefore consider the risk of removing the ground cover on which the species is recorded as living.

The Rowles Lagoon report identifies grazing by stock and introduced pest animals, weeds and predation of fauna as threats to ecological components at the site. These pressures can reduce or alter the ground layer used by the skink.

  • Avoid unnecessary burning or broad fuel reduction in retained habitat.
  • Control stock and introduced animals where they damage ground cover or increase soil disturbance.
  • Prevent weed introduction through vehicle hygiene and defined access routes.

Threats: Hydrology, erosion and roads

The Rowles Lagoon report identifies altered hydrology, groundwater extraction, catchment disturbance, soil erosion and siltation as threats to the wetland system. These processes can change terrestrial habitat and ground cover around wetland margins.

The supplied documents do not provide evidence for a species-specific road mortality rate, disease risk or response to fragmentation. Roads and construction traffic should nevertheless be managed as potential sources of direct mortality, habitat loss, dust and surface disturbance.

  • Maintain existing drainage patterns where practicable and prevent sediment movement into retained habitat.
  • Use fauna-sensitive speed limits and keep vehicles on designated routes.
  • Record and report any injured or dead skinks found during clearing or construction.

Survey methodology: 1. Daytime active searches

Saltbush Morethia Skink is a small, diurnal, terrestrial skink associated with shrubland, deserts and xeric shrublands, and ground cover. The supplied documents do not provide a species specific survey guideline or validated detection effort, so survey design must follow the relevant state or territory guidance for terrestrial reptiles and be scaled to the area and habitat proposed for disturbance.

Search during daylight, when the species is active and can use ground cover for shelter.

Walk the proposed disturbance footprint, access tracks, stockpile areas and retained habitat edges at a pace that allows close inspection of the ground surface.

Search beneath and beside ground cover, including leaf litter, low shrubs, fallen timber, loose bark, rocks and other surface shelters.

Record the search date, start and finish times, weather, temperature, wind, recent rain, observers, route, area searched and the condition of ground cover.

Adult snout to vent length: Mean adult female length is 49 mm, with a greatest recorded length of 60 mm.

Activity: Diurnal.

Habitat: Terrestrial shrubland, including areas among ground cover.

  • Use parallel transects or a mapped meandering search pattern so that all parts of the disturbance area are inspected.
  • Inspect both the impact area and nearby retained habitat that may receive relocated animals.

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted refuge and cover searches

Systematically inspect likely shelter sites because the species is terrestrial and has been recorded among ground cover.

Search the underside and margins of loose rocks, fallen branches, timber, bark and dense low vegetation before these features are disturbed.

Replace every moved cover object in its original position and orientation unless the project fauna management plan specifies another treatment.

  • Mark each searched area on a plan or GPS track.
  • Record the type and location of occupied or potentially occupied cover, including whether it is inside the clearing footprint or retained area.
  • Use a second observer or repeat search where visibility is poor, ground cover is dense or the first search identifies suitable habitat.

Survey methodology: 3. Trapping or other supplementary methods

Use trapping only where daytime searches are unlikely to provide adequate detection and where the method is approved by the relevant authority.

Select trap types and placement for a small terrestrial skink, and install them along ground-cover edges and other likely movement paths rather than in open wetland water.

Check traps at the frequency required by the permit and state or territory protocol, with suitable shelter and protection from heat, cold, rain and predators.

Do not leave traps operating in weather conditions that could cause overheating, flooding or exposure.

  • Obtain any required scientific, wildlife handling or animal ethics approvals before trapping.
  • Record trap type, number of traps, trap locations, opening and closing times, trap nights, weather and all captures or non-captures.
  • Use the same method and effort across comparable habitat units so that results can be interpreted.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey timing and detection records

Undertake the main search in daylight because the species is diurnal.

The supplied records do not identify a confirmed active season, preferred body temperature, minimum survey nights, transect length or trap effort for this species.

Avoid relying on a single visit where the proposed works affect extensive shrubland or ground cover, and schedule repeat visits when conditions provide suitable reptile activity under the applicable jurisdictional guideline.

Treat the species as potentially present where suitable ground cover occurs in the impact area, even if it is not detected.

Known regional context: At Rowles Lagoon, the species was recorded in 1994 and 1995 and was described as being at the western limit of its range there.

Recorded elevation range: 489 to 1130 m above sea level.

  • Document the area surveyed, the proportion of suitable habitat searched, survey limitations and the basis for concluding that the survey was adequate.
  • Submit confirmed records with accurate coordinates, photographs where possible and survey details to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the current survey guideline and permit conditions for the relevant state or territory to set the minimum area, timing, repeat visits and trapping effort.
  • Survey every habitat unit within the proposed clearing footprint and inspect adjoining retained habitat that may be used for relocation.
  • Map the disturbance footprint, searched area, habitat features, survey routes, detections, relocation sites and any areas not searched.
  • Report the species name as Morethia adelaidensis and include the common name Saltbush Morethia Skink in project records.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and retain the coordinates, photographs, observer details and survey effort with the project file.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

The species is a small ground-dwelling skink of shrubland and ground cover. Avoidance should focus on retaining connected cover and reducing the area and duration of exposed ground.

Redesign the disturbance footprint where practicable to retain shrubland, low vegetation, leaf litter, rocks, fallen timber and other ground cover.

Retain continuous or stepping-stone connections between habitat patches so animals are not isolated by cleared corridors, roads or hardstand.

Keep machinery, parking, spoil, storage and access areas out of retained ground cover.

At Rowles Lagoon, the species occurs at the western limit of its range, so confirm whether the project affects a locally important or range-edge population before finalising the footprint.

  • Map suitable shrubland and ground-cover habitat before final design approval.
  • Use existing cleared areas for compounds and access where practicable.
  • Keep retained habitat free from unnecessary slashing, grading, mowing and soil disturbance.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and fauna planning

Confirm the species listing in the project jurisdiction before works begin; it is not listed under the EPBC Act in the supplied species information but is listed as Endangered in Victoria.

Obtain any state or territory permits required for taking, handling, trapping, possessing or relocating wildlife.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies survey methods, competent spotter catcher roles, handling limits, release sites, stop-work triggers, injury response and reporting requirements.

Obtain project approvals for clearing, native vegetation removal and threatened species impacts where applicable.

EPBC Act status: Not listed in the supplied species information.

State status supplied: Endangered in Victoria.

  • Seek an EPBC Act assessment if the project changes or new information indicates that a nationally listed matter may be affected.
  • Confirm the relevant Victorian approval pathway where the project is in Victoria, including requirements arising from the Endangered listing.
  • Nominate a suitably authorised ecologist or fauna spotter catcher before clearing starts.

Before habitat disturbance: Work staging and pre-clearance preparation

Stage clearing so that habitat is removed progressively and animals can move towards retained habitat rather than being surrounded by cleared ground.

Schedule works during daylight where the spotter catcher can inspect ground cover and direct machinery safely.

Complete a pre-clearance survey close to the start of works because ground cover, shelter sites and animal locations can change after earlier site activity.

Mark retained habitat, no-go areas, relocation sites, access routes and habitat features on the ground and in the construction drawings.

  • Install exclusion fencing where it can prevent entry into retained habitat without trapping animals inside the work area.
  • Keep fencing, silt controls and stockpiles from blocking movement between retained habitat patches unless the fauna plan provides a safe alternative.
  • Brief all operators on the species identification, stop-work procedure and requirement to follow the spotter catcher's direction.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Clearing should proceed under direct fauna supervision, with controls that protect small skinks using ground cover. The spotter catcher must be able to stop machinery before habitat is disturbed.

Inspect the work area each day before machinery enters, including ground cover, rocks, fallen timber, stockpiles, drains and the edges of retained vegetation.

The fauna spotter catcher must remain close enough to see the active clearing area and communicate immediately with the operator.

Clear in a controlled sequence from the edge of the impact area towards retained habitat, where this is safe and consistent with the approved fauna plan.

Use low-speed plant movements and stop plant before the spotter catcher approaches or inspects a shelter feature.

  • Stop work whenever the spotter catcher cannot maintain a clear view of the active clearing area.
  • Prevent workers and machinery from entering marked no-go habitat.
  • Reinspect areas after breaks, overnight shutdowns, rain or changes to the clearing sequence.

During habitat disturbance: Handling ground features and animals

Inspect rocks, logs, bark, leaf litter and low shrubs before they are moved or crushed.

Move suitable habitat features only under the direction of the fauna spotter catcher, and place them in nearby retained habitat where approved.

Do not excavate burrows or destroy shelter sites without first checking them for fauna and following the fauna management plan.

If a Saltbush Morethia Skink is found, stop nearby work and allow the authorised handler to assess it.

Preferred release habitat: Nearby retained terrestrial shrubland with ground cover.

  • Only an appropriately authorised person may capture, handle or relocate the animal.
  • Use the minimum handling needed to move the animal to nearby suitable retained habitat within its local area and in accordance with approval conditions.
  • Do not relocate an animal across roads, into unsuitable open ground or outside the approved local release area.
  • Place an injured animal in a secure, ventilated container and transfer it promptly to a veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer through the project fauna response process.
  • Do not handle an animal if the handler lacks the required authority, equipment or species identification confidence.

During habitat disturbance: Stop work and incident records

Stop work in the immediate area for any confirmed Saltbush Morethia Skink, suspected injured individual, unexpected concentration of reptiles or damage to retained habitat.

Stop work if exclusion fencing fails, machinery enters a no-go area or the approved clearing sequence cannot be followed.

Escalate repeated detections or mortality to the project ecologist and relevant regulator where required by approval conditions.

  • Record the date, time, location, identification basis, habitat feature, action taken, release location, condition of the animal, personnel involved and work stoppage duration.
  • Photograph the animal and habitat where this can be done without delaying safe treatment or causing additional stress.
  • Record all injured or dead animals and submit required incident notifications under the permit, approval or fauna management plan.
  • Maintain a daily clearance log signed by the spotter catcher and machinery supervisor.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Post-clearance work must confirm that no animals or suitable shelter features were left within the disturbance area and that retained habitat remains usable and connected.

Complete a final inspection of the cleared footprint, remaining ground cover, spoil, trenches, stockpiles and machinery before the area is handed over for construction.

Search any retained habitat edge exposed by clearing for displaced or injured skinks.

Check that rocks, logs, low shrubs and other retained cover identified in the fauna plan have not been damaged or removed.

  • Inspect open trenches and pits at the frequency required by the fauna plan and approval conditions, and provide escape ramps or covers where required.
  • Remove temporary exclusion fencing only when the project ecologist confirms that it is no longer needed and that it will not strand animals.
  • Record the final cleared area, post-clearance search effort, findings and unresolved risks.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring, controls and reporting

Monitor retained shrubland, ground cover and relocation areas where the project approval or risk assessment requires follow-up.

Maintain weed, erosion, sediment and access controls so that retained habitat is not degraded by construction runoff, vehicle movement or introduced vegetation.

Review monitoring results for further detections, mortality, habitat loss or failed relocation and adjust controls through the fauna management plan.

Provide the landholder, project manager and regulator with the required clearance, incident and monitoring reports.

  • Keep fauna exclusion controls intact until construction risks have ended.
  • Map any new records and submit verified records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database.
  • Apply approved offsets or other compensatory measures where residual impacts remain after avoidance and mitigation.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore ground habitat and connectivity

Rehabilitation should recreate connected terrestrial shrubland with stable ground cover. The supplied documents do not identify particular plant species, nest box requirements or species specific fire intervals, so restoration should use local reference vegetation and the applicable regional ecological guidelines.

Reinstate native shrubland structure using locally appropriate species from the pre-clearing community and the relevant restoration plan.

Replace salvaged logs, rocks, bark and coarse ground cover in retained or rehabilitated areas to provide shelter close to the ground.

Reconnect retained habitat patches with planted or naturally regenerating cover where construction has created gaps.

Avoid leaving large areas of bare compacted soil between habitat patches.

Relevant habitat: Terrestrial shrubland and areas among ground cover.

  • Use locally sourced native materials where permitted and free of weeds, soil pathogens and introduced fauna.
  • Keep rehabilitated ground cover undisturbed while it establishes, except for approved weed and pest control.
  • Do not place artificial hollows or nest boxes as a substitute for ground shelter unless another species or approval requires them.

Rehabilitation actions: Manage weeds, predators and fire

Control weeds that reduce native shrub cover or alter the ground layer, using methods that do not injure reptiles or contaminate retained habitat.

Manage introduced predators and pest animals in accordance with the approved site plan, noting that the Rowles Lagoon condition report identifies introduced fauna and predation as threats to wetland fauna.

Use a local fire management plan that protects regenerating shrubland and retains patches of ground cover.

Avoid broadscale fire or fuel treatment through occupied or newly rehabilitated habitat unless required for public safety and approved by the relevant authority.

  • Inspect rehabilitation areas for weed invasion, erosion, grazing and predator activity during each monitoring visit.
  • Keep chemicals, bait stations and control devices away from locations where non-target reptiles could be trapped or exposed.
  • Coordinate fire planning with the land manager and relevant fire authority.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Monitor plant establishment, ground-cover continuity, shelter feature retention and connectivity between retained habitat patches.

Use daytime active searches in suitable weather and record survey effort consistently so that changes in detection can be assessed.

Treat successful rehabilitation as retained or restored shrubland with stable ground cover, no unresolved erosion or weed problem, and safe connection to nearby habitat.

Continue monitoring for the period required by project approvals and extend it if rehabilitation is not meeting the approved outcome.

  • Record habitat condition, cover feature placement, weed and predator control, survey route, weather, detections, injuries and mortality.
  • Compare results with a suitable nearby reference area where one is available.
  • Submit any confirmed records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database and report failures or corrective actions to the project manager and regulator.

Sources