Spotted Sand Dragon (Ctenophorus maculatus)

Conservation status

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Rare.

Breeding season

The Spotted Sand Dragon is poorly known, and species-specific breeding months have not been established. As a southern Australian agamid, breeding and surface activity are expected to increase in spring and summer, with some regional and yearly variation.

Breeding mode: Egg laying, consistent with agamid dragons.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation period: Not recorded.

Hatchling or juvenile dependence: Not recorded. Young dragons are expected to become independent rather than remain in a nest or roost.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Nest or egg-laying site: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Timing may shift between years and regions with rainfall, temperature, fire history and local habitat conditions, so use recent weather and local observations to refine clearing controls.

• Breeding activity, mating and egg laying: Plan for mating and egg laying mainly during the warmer spring and summer period, but confirm locally through field observations.
• Eggs and hatchlings: Eggs and newly hatched young may be present during late spring and summer, although the timing is not confirmed for this species.
• Warm-season surface activity: Search effort is most likely to detect active animals during warm weather, particularly in open shrubland, hummock grass and sandy heath.
• Cool-season reduced surface activity: Cool conditions may reduce surface activity and make visual detection less reliable, especially in southern or inland areas.
• Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is during the inferred spring and summer breeding period, when eggs, hatchlings and active adults may be present in suitable habitat.

Identification: Appearance

The Spotted Sand Dragon is a compact, ground dwelling dragon lizard. It can be overlooked in open shrubland because its spotted or mottled pattern blends with sand, leaf litter and low vegetation.

Look for a low, robust lizard with a broad dragon lizard head, four well developed legs and a long tapering tail. The body is typically spotted or mottled, matching sandy ground, dry litter and shrubland cover.

Colour can vary with soil, vegetation and lighting. Photograph the animal from above and from the side where possible, without handling it unless this is necessary for authorised identification.

Taxonomy: Ctenophorus maculatus, family Agamidae

Activity: A terrestrial, surface active lizard

• Check the head shape, body pattern, tail and habitat together.
• Record the animal's exact location and the vegetation structure around it.
• Use clear photographs for confirmation where the animal cannot be identified confidently in the field.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No diagnostic call or echolocation behaviour is associated with this species. Identification should rely on morphology, photographs, habitat and, where needed, expert review.

Other small dragons and skinks may occur in the same shrublands. Do not identify an animal from colour alone, particularly where the view is brief or the animal is partly hidden.

Alternative name: Spotted Military Dragon

• Avoid using a single feature such as spots or body colour as the only identification character.
• Treat uncertain records as potential Spotted Sand Dragon records until checked.

Identification: Field signs

Direct sightings are the most useful record. Tracks, shallow surface marks and brief movements between shrubs may indicate a lizard, but are unlikely to identify this species reliably on their own.

Do not expect nests, whitewash, roost stains or strong odours. Faeces may be small and inconspicuous, and should not be assigned to this species without supporting evidence.

Reliable evidence: A clear animal photograph or a confirmed observation

• Search the edges of shrubs, hummock grass and open sandy patches.
• Inspect likely refuge areas before machinery enters, using a slow and careful search.
• Record signs with a photograph, GPS location, date, time and habitat description.

Distribution: Australian range

The Spotted Sand Dragon is mapped in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Records and habitat descriptions are uneven across this range, so local absence from a database should not be treated as proof that the species is absent from a work site.

In South Australia, the species has been recorded in the Biological Database of South Australia. A record dated 2012 was located within 50 km of one assessed project area, with spatial reliability of less than 1 km.

In Western Australia, survey records came from the Central West region. The animals were recorded at sites with open regenerating kwongan heath and mixed banksia and eucalypt woodland over kwongan heath.

The species is also mapped in Victoria. Regional boundaries and local population information should be checked during project planning.

Overseas range: No overseas range is recognised in the project information

• South Australia
• Victoria
• Western Australia

Distribution: Records and detectability

The species was not detected during one South Australian native vegetation clearance survey, but suitable habitat and nearby records led to a likely occurrence assessment.

A Western Australian fauna survey recorded one animal at ENB01, three at ENB02 and six at ENB04. These records show that targeted searches can detect the species, but they do not define population size or distribution.

South Australian status: Rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972

Western Australian status: Priority 4, a non statutory category for rare and near threatened species that need monitoring

• Check state databases and recent local survey records before clearing.
• Map all suitable habitat, not only locations where the species has previously been recorded.
• Treat a likely habitat assessment as a trigger for careful preclearance planning.

Habitat: Vegetation to map

On a clearing site, focus on a mosaic of low shrubs, hummock grass and open ground. The species has been associated with both chenopod shrublands in South Australia and sandy kwongan habitats in Western Australia.

Suitable habitat can occur in shrublands with Melaleuca pauperiflora, Nitraria billardierei, Geijera linearifolia, Acacia oswaldii, Acacia papyrocarpa, Scaevola spinescens, Cratystylis conocephala and chenopod understorey.

Hummock grass and Austrostipa grassland within or below shrubland should also be retained in habitat mapping. Open spaces between shrubs may provide movement and basking areas.

Key habitat structure: Low vegetation with open ground, grass hummocks and sheltered patches

• Low open shrubland over chenopod shrubs
• Shrubland with hummock grass or Austrostipa understorey
• Very open Acacia papyrocarpa and eucalypt woodland over chenopods
• Melaleuca, Nitraria, Geijera and Scaevola shrublands

Habitat: Landforms and soil

In Western Australia, records came from white sandy soils supporting open kwongan heath and mixed banksia and eucalypt woodland. Recently burnt and regenerating heath can remain suitable habitat.

In South Australia, the species was assessed as likely or possible in a range of shrubland communities, including chenopod dominated areas. Map sandy and sparsely vegetated ground as well as denser shrub patches.

Recorded Western Australian settings: Open regenerating kwongan heath and mixed banksia and eucalypt woodland over kwongan heath

• White sandy soils and open heath
• Regenerating kwongan heath
• Chenopod shrublands with scattered taller shrubs
• Edges between open ground, hummock grass and shrub cover

Habitat: Site planning

Retain connected patches of suitable vegetation wherever practicable. Keep access routes within existing disturbed areas and avoid widening tracks through intact shrubland.

Mark habitat limits before machinery arrives. Include apparently sparse areas, because low cover and open ground can form part of the same habitat patch.

• Walk the proposed clearing footprint before finalising the work limits.
• Flag shrubs, hummock grass and open sandy areas that will be retained.
• Keep spoil, laydown areas and vehicle parking out of suitable habitat.

Foraging habitat: Likely feeding areas

The species specific diet is not well documented for field operations. As a ground dwelling agamid, it is likely to forage across open soil, litter, grass hummocks and the bases of shrubs where small prey occur.

Search open sandy patches beside shrubs, the margins of hummock grass and gaps beneath low shrub canopies. These areas provide a mix of sun, cover and access to small invertebrates.

Avoid assuming that bare ground is unused. A lizard may move between feeding, basking and shelter areas during the same day.

Diet guidance: Use a cautious small invertebrate prey assumption until local observations support a more specific description

• Edges of Melaleuca, chenopod, Nitraria and Scaevola shrublands
• Hummock grass margins
• Open ground within kwongan heath
• Leaf litter and low cover beneath scattered shrubs

Foraging habitat: Field methods

Diurnal searches are suitable for locating active animals in open habitat. Move slowly and scan the ground, shrub bases and edges of grass hummocks before entering with vehicles or machinery.

A Western Australian Level 2 survey used pitfall traps with drift fences, funnel traps, Elliott traps, cage traps, diurnal searches and night searches. Project ecologists should select methods and effort to suit the habitat, season, approvals and detection objectives.

Recorded survey timing: A Level 2 survey that detected the species was conducted from 19 to 28 November 2007

• Use visual searches across representative habitat and proposed clearing areas.
• Inspect likely refuge sites carefully before disturbance.
• Use trapping only under an approved fauna survey plan and with appropriate animal welfare controls.

Foraging habitat: Worksite precautions

Keep vehicles to defined routes and limit dust, disturbance and vegetation trimming. If an animal is seen, stop nearby activity long enough for the spotter catcher or ecologist to assess the situation.

Record sightings even when the animal moves into retained habitat. These records help define local use of the site and guide later stages of construction.

• Use a fauna spotter catcher during active clearing in suitable habitat.
• Avoid driving over open sandy patches, grass hummocks and shrub bases.
• Keep a clear record of observations, relocations and areas searched.

Breeding habitat: Areas to check

Breeding habitat and breeding timing are poorly documented for the Spotted Sand Dragon. Treat suitable shrubland, hummock grass and adjacent open sandy ground as potentially important during preclearance planning.

Inspect open soil beside shrubs, beneath grass hummocks and around low vegetation for lizard activity or small ground disturbances. Do not excavate or dismantle possible shelter sites unless this is covered by the approved method.

Because breeding place details are not well established, retain habitat mosaics rather than focusing only on a particular nest feature.

Breeding timing: No reliable month by month breeding period is established for project planning

Clutch size: No reliable local clutch size is established

• Loose or sandy ground within shrubland
• Edges of hummock grass and chenopod cover
• Sheltered ground beneath low shrubs
• Intact habitat adjoining the clearing footprint

Breeding habitat: Preclearance approach

Schedule habitat checks when animals are most likely to be active under suitable local weather conditions, following advice from the project ecologist. Use more than one inspection where the risk of impact is high.

A single negative search should not be used to clear a Rare or near threatened habitat patch without considering habitat quality, nearby records and survey limitations.

• Complete a marked habitat inspection before clearing.
• Use a qualified spotter catcher for staged vegetation removal.
• Stop work and seek advice if a suspected breeding site or concentration of animals is found.

Breeding habitat: Handling and release

Do not handle animals unless authorised and trained. If capture is required, use an approved fauna management procedure and minimise time in the container.

Release decisions, locations and methods should be set by the project ecologist and comply with the relevant state requirements. Keep animals within suitable nearby habitat where relocation is authorised.

• Record the animal, capture location, release location and condition.
• Keep containers shaded and secure during any short holding period.
• Do not move animals across roads, into cleared ground or into unsuitable vegetation.

Sheltering habitat: Refuge features

The Spotted Sand Dragon is associated with shrubs and hummock grass, which can provide shade, concealment and refuge from predators and heat. Specific shelter structures have not been established, so ground cover should be checked broadly.

Inspect the bases of low shrubs, grass hummocks, leaf litter, fallen timber and loose surface debris. Sand dragons may be difficult to see until they move, so search from several angles and avoid rapid vehicle entry.

Retain a connected mix of cover and open ground. Removing all low cover from a patch can reduce its value even when taller shrubs remain.

Known shelter association: Shrubs and hummock grass

• Shrub bases and dense low foliage
• Hummock grass
• Leaf litter and fallen branches
• Open ground beside cover

Sheltering habitat: Clearance controls

Use staged clearing where practicable. First remove or trim the least suitable edge vegetation under supervision, then pause to allow animals to move into retained habitat before progressing.

Avoid pushing debris into retained habitat. Debris piles can conceal animals and make later searches less effective.

• Mark no go areas before machinery starts.
• Check beneath and around ground cover before removal.
• Keep retained habitat free from spoil, slash and construction materials.

Sheltering habitat: Detection during construction

The species may move from a disturbed area into adjoining habitat when construction begins. A spotter catcher should watch the active work front, access tracks and stockpile edges.

Use hygiene controls between work areas to reduce weed spread into shrubland and hummock grass habitat.

• Maintain a fauna observation register.
• Pause work for positive identification and safe response.
• Review controls if repeated sightings occur outside the original habitat assessment.

Threats: Vegetation clearance and fragmentation

The main worksite risks are habitat loss, direct injury and degradation of retained vegetation. The South Australian status of Rare and the Western Australian Priority 4 category support a cautious approach to survey, clearance and monitoring.

Clearing shrubland, hummock grass and open sandy habitat can remove shelter, feeding areas and movement routes. Track widening and small areas of repeated trimming can also reduce habitat continuity.

Minimise the actual clearance footprint and record all vegetation removal. Keep machinery, laydown areas and access routes within approved limits.

South Australian listing: Rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972

Management level: Use targeted preclearance checks and conservative habitat controls

• Use existing disturbed areas where possible.
• Fence or flag retained habitat before work starts.
• Avoid unnecessary trimming along access tracks.

Threats: Direct injury and disturbance

Animals can be injured by vehicles, graders, clearing equipment and stockpiled materials. Noise, vibration and movement can also cause animals to leave cover and cross active work areas.

Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher during clearing in suitable habitat. Stop work when an animal is located in the immediate work area and follow the approved fauna response procedure.

• Set low speed controls on access tracks.
• Inspect work areas before machinery enters.
• Keep open trenches, pits and spoil areas managed under the site's fauna protection procedure.

Threats: Dust, weeds and habitat degradation

Dust from construction can settle on low vegetation and soil surfaces. Weed introduction can change the structure of shrubland and grass cover, particularly along tracks and disturbed edges.

Apply strict vehicle and equipment hygiene. Control weeds early and prevent washdown water, soil or plant material from moving into retained habitat.

• Use designated access routes.
• Inspect and clean machinery before entering intact vegetation.
• Keep spoil and imported soil out of retained habitat.
• Monitor disturbed edges for weed establishment.

Threats: Monitoring and adaptive management

A Rare or near threatened species requires more than a one off chance sighting approach. Combine habitat mapping, preclearance searches, spotter catcher records and construction observations.

Review the control measures if animals are detected repeatedly, if clearing exceeds the approved footprint or if retained habitat becomes isolated.

Western Australian category: Priority 4, a non statutory DBCA category for rare and near threatened species that need monitoring

• Map all confirmed observations with date, location and habitat.
• Keep clearance records and fauna incident records together.
• Escalate repeated detections to the project ecologist and relevant environmental manager.
• Check state approval and reporting requirements before work begins.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Spotted Sand Dragon is a poorly documented terrestrial agamid. Survey effort should focus on open shrubland, hummock grass and sandy heath, with methods suited to detecting active lizards and animals sheltering under ground cover.

Check current records, vegetation mapping, fire history and recent aerial imagery before finalising the survey area.

Map suitable habitat, including shrublands, hummock grass, chenopod vegetation, sandy heath and open woodland with a low understorey.

In South Australia, treat the species as Rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. In Western Australia, check the current Priority 4 status and any project specific advice. Confirm the current status for the project location before works begin.

Known South Australian record currency in the cited assessment: Last database record in 2012, with records assessed within 50 km of the project area

Known South Australian project assessment: Suitable habitat was present and the species was assessed as likely to use the project area

• Search the Biological Database of South Australia and relevant state databases.
• Identify habitat linkages and nearby records within and beyond the proposed disturbance footprint.
• Record whether the species name is being used for the Nullarbor Spotted Sand Dragon or another population or taxonomic treatment.

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted field searches

Use experienced ecologists to undertake systematic diurnal searches through suitable habitat. Walk slowly and scan sunny ground, shrub bases, hummock grass, litter, logs, stones and other surface cover.

Search during suitable warm conditions when lizards are likely to be active. Avoid very cold, wet, windy or excessively hot conditions, and record conditions at the time of each search.

The species was recorded in Western Australia during a November survey. No reliable breeding or seasonal movement period has been established, so schedule repeat searches across suitable seasons where the risk is high.

Western Australian survey records: One animal at ENB01, three at ENB02 and six at ENB04

Recorded Western Australian habitat: Open regenerating kwongan heath and open banksia or eucalypt woodland over kwongan heath on white sandy soils

• Use visual searches and binoculars where visibility allows.
• Hand search beneath suitable loose cover only where this can be done safely and without damaging habitat.
• Use pitfall and funnel trapping only under an approved fauna survey design, with animal welfare controls, shade, checking schedules and relevant permits.
• Consider nocturnal searches only where they are justified by the site assessment. They should not replace daytime searches for an active terrestrial dragon.

Survey methodology: 3. Survey design and effort

Set transects or search areas across each habitat type and disturbance zone. Include retained habitat beside the footprint because animals may move into adjoining vegetation when clearing starts.

Use the previous Level 2 survey methods as a reference for a broad fauna program, not as a species specific detection standard. That survey used pitfall, funnel, Elliott and cage traps, diurnal searches and night searches.

Increase repeat visits where habitat is extensive, records are nearby, detection conditions are poor, or the species may be affected by clearing. Document the reason for the chosen effort.

Published Level 2 effort at each site: 100 pitfall trap nights, 200 funnel trap nights, 200 Elliott trap nights, 20 cage trap nights, 120 minutes of diurnal search and 120 minutes of night search

Published Level 2 survey dates: 19 to 28 November 2007

• Separate survey effort by habitat type and proposed disturbance area.
• Record the date, start and finish time, weather, temperature if measured, wind, cloud, recent rain and ground conditions.
• Record search length, area searched, personnel, method, trap effort and any limitations.
• Stop or modify a search if heat, fire danger, flooding or animal welfare conditions make it unsafe.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and identification

Record every sighting, capture, sign and credible absence separately. Photograph the animal and habitat where this can be done without causing stress.

Have uncertain identifications checked by a suitably experienced herpetologist. Do not rely on a common name alone because the species has also been reported under the name Spotted Military Dragon.

• Record species, number of animals, life stage if confidently assessed, GPS location, habitat, behaviour and detection method.
• Record whether the animal was inside the clearing footprint, in a proposed exclusion area or in retained habitat.
• Upload records to the relevant state database and retain the original field data, photographs and spatial files.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm approvals and responsibilities

Plan avoidance before machinery arrives. The South Australian listing is a statutory Rare listing, while Western Australia uses Priority 4 as a non-statutory category for rare and near threatened species that need monitoring.

Confirm the current conservation status, project approvals and land access requirements for the work area. Obtain any state fauna permits required for survey, trapping, handling, salvage or relocation.

Check whether the action needs referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The species is not shown as EPBC listed in the cited assessment, but the current national list and any other listed matters must be checked before approval decisions are made.

In Queensland, seek advice before works that could affect a breeding place of protected wildlife. Where the relevant requirements apply, obtain an approved species management program before tampering with the breeding place.

South Australia: Rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972

Western Australia: Priority 4 is a non-statutory DBCA category for rare and near threatened species that need monitoring

• Nominate the project ecologist and authorised fauna spotter catcher in the environmental management plan.
• Confirm permit conditions, reporting timeframes, release requirements and restrictions on trapping or relocation.
• Include stop work and incident notification requirements in contracts and construction inductions.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoid and retain habitat

Redesign the footprint to retain suitable shrubland, hummock grass, sandy heath and connected habitat wherever practicable.

Keep disturbance within the approved footprint. Mark retained habitat, exclusion areas and access routes before clearing.

Give particular attention to habitat beside the clearing edge because animals may shelter or move there during works.

• Use clearly visible bunting, flagging or fencing to define no-go areas.
• Keep vehicles, laydown areas, spoil and materials out of retained habitat.
• Minimise trimming along vehicle tracks and prevent unnecessary widening of access routes.
• Control dust, weeds and runoff so retained habitat remains usable.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Complete a pre-clearance survey

Complete a final pre-clearance search close enough to the start of works to identify animals that have moved into the footprint. Use a suitably qualified ecologist or fauna spotter catcher familiar with reptiles.

Search shrubs, hummock grass, ground litter, logs, stones, burrows and other potential refuge locations. Treat the whole footprint and the immediate edge as potential habitat.

No species specific breeding months have been established. If a breeding place or dependent young are found, stop in that area and obtain ecological and regulatory advice before proceeding.

• Survey after the area has been marked and before vegetation is disturbed.
• Inspect proposed stockpile, access and machinery areas as well as the main clearing footprint.
• Record all animals, signs, refuge sites, breeding evidence and areas searched.
• Do not destroy or move cover objects during the survey unless this is part of an approved method.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induct the work crew

Explain the species appearance, likely habitat, legal status and stop work process during the site induction. Use photographs or an identification sheet prepared by the project ecologist.

Make sure operators understand that a small lizard may be difficult to see among shrubs, grass and surface cover.

• Tell workers not to handle, chase, feed or collect reptiles.
• Provide the spotter catcher with authority to stop work in a defined area.
• Display contact details for the spotter catcher, site supervisor, ecologist and wildlife carer or veterinarian.
• Include procedures for injured animals, breeding places and unexpected high numbers of animals.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Clear in stages

Clear in a controlled sequence and keep the spotter catcher close to the active work area. Stop whenever an animal, breeding place or unexpected habitat feature requires assessment.

Clear the smallest practical area at a time and work from the disturbed edge towards retained habitat where the risk assessment supports this approach. This can give mobile animals an opportunity to move away from machinery.

Use low speed and staged vegetation removal in suitable habitat. Avoid rapid, uncontrolled clearing and unnecessary disturbance of retained shrubs and ground cover.

Keep the spotter catcher in a position where the active clearing face, machinery and escape route can be observed.

• Remove machinery and workers from any area where the spotter catcher calls stop.
• Check the next work area before machinery advances.
• Inspect disturbed ground, felled vegetation and surface cover for reptiles after each clearing stage.
• Do not assume that an animal has left simply because it was not seen.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Handle animals safely

Only authorised and competent people may capture, handle or relocate a Spotted Sand Dragon. Use the least stressful method allowed by the permit and project procedure.

Do not pursue an animal through dense vegetation or expose it to prolonged heat. Keep handling brief and avoid contact with the head, tail and eyes.

• Use clean equipment and prevent transfer of soil, weeds and pathogens between sites.
• Place a captured animal in a secure, ventilated container with suitable shelter and keep it shaded.
• Release it only at the approved location, within suitable habitat and in accordance with permit conditions.
• Do not move animals across roads, into unsuitable habitat or outside the approved release area.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Respond to breeding places or concentrations

If an active breeding place, dependent young, a concentration of animals or an unexpected shelter site is found, stop work in the immediate area. The spotter catcher must notify the site supervisor and project ecologist before work resumes.

The breeding biology and breeding place requirements of this species are poorly documented. Do not disturb, excavate, fill or relocate a suspected breeding place without ecological and regulatory approval.

• Fence and sign the area while advice is obtained.
• Record the location, habitat, evidence, photographs and the work activity that was stopped.
• Confirm whether a state management program, permit variation or other approval is required.
• Resume work only after the ecologist and approval holder have documented the controls.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Manage injury and records

Treat injured animals as wildlife incidents. Stop handling if the animal is distressed or badly injured and contact the nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority.

Record the incident before the end of the shift and preserve photographs where safe to do so.

• Record the animal's location, condition, injuries, handling, container use, release or transfer details and the people involved.
• Notify the project manager and approval holder of any death, injury, unauthorised handling or escape.
• Record the clearing date, weather, machinery, area cleared, search effort and all animals detected.
• Report incidents to the relevant regulator where required by the approval or permit.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Check the cleared area

Post-clearance checks help confirm that animals were not left in isolated patches or trapped by construction activities. Use the results to adjust controls for later clearing stages and future projects.

Inspect the completed clearing area and its edges after machinery has left. Look for live or injured reptiles, carcasses, tracks, burrows, disturbed refuges and animals sheltering in retained vegetation.

Check pits, trenches, open pipes, drains, excavations and other construction hazards at a frequency set by the site risk assessment and approval conditions.

• Remove or cover fauna traps and construction hazards when they are no longer needed.
• Provide safe escape routes from open excavations where practicable.
• Arrange a repeat search if clearing occurred in poor weather or visibility.
• Record the date, personnel, area checked, findings and corrective actions.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitor retained habitat

Monitor retained habitat and the clearing edge where the species was recorded, where suitable habitat remains isolated, or where project effects may persist.

Use the same locations and methods where possible so results can be compared through time. Scale monitoring to the South Australian Rare listing, the Western Australian Priority 4 status and the project's residual risk.

• Inspect for animals, refuge use, weed invasion, erosion, dust deposition and unauthorised disturbance.
• Use repeat diurnal searches during suitable activity conditions.
• Set additional monitoring triggers if animals are found injured, displaced or repeatedly entering construction areas.
• Review monitoring results with the project ecologist and regulator where required.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Manage relocated animals

Confirm that every relocated animal reached an approved release site and was released in suitable habitat. Do not release an animal if weather, safety or habitat conditions are unsuitable.

Maintain a relocation register and link each record to the capture location, release location and permit conditions.

• Record the release date, time, GPS location, habitat, animal condition and handler.
• Report mortality, recapture, unusual movement or repeated returns to the project ecologist.
• Do not continue relocation as a substitute for avoiding habitat or improving the clearing method.
• Seek advice if animals are found repeatedly outside the approved release area.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Close out and improve the work

Complete a fauna close-out report for each clearing stage. Review whether the survey, exclusion, clearing sequence and handling controls worked as intended.

Use findings to change the next work area, induction, survey timing or supervision level.

• Map all records, incidents, breeding places and retained habitat.
• Compare predicted habitat use with actual observations.
• Document any permit breaches, near misses, injuries or unexpected concentrations.
• Update the environmental management plan before the next clearing stage.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore suitable vegetation

Restore habitat that can support a terrestrial dragon, rather than installing structures that suit other fauna. Focus on native shrubs, hummock grass, ground cover, shelter and connected habitat, with weed control maintained for the life of the project.

Rehabilitate disturbed areas with locally appropriate native shrubs, hummock grasses and other plant communities that match the surrounding habitat. Use species and seed sources suited to the site and soil conditions.

Retain or reinstate a varied ground layer with safe refuge cover. Avoid creating large bare areas that expose lizards to heat and predators.

• Replace topsoil and habitat material using the approved rehabilitation method.
• Retain suitable logs, stones and coarse ground cover where they are clean, safe and appropriate for the site.
• Maintain links between rehabilitation areas and retained shrubland or grassland.
• Protect new plantings from traffic, grazing and repeated disturbance.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Use structures only where suitable

The Spotted Sand Dragon is a ground dwelling lizard, and species specific evidence for artificial breeding structures is limited. Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or roost structures as a default action for this species.

If an ecologist identifies a genuine need for replacement breeding or shelter habitat, use a site specific design based on confirmed habitat use and approval conditions. Ground level refuge features are more likely to be relevant than elevated boxes, but must be designed and placed by a qualified specialist.

• Do not install bat boxes, nest boxes or roost structures unless they are intended for another confirmed species and will not harm the dragon's habitat.
• Do not create artificial burrows or nesting sites without a documented design, monitoring plan and relevant approval.
• Inspect any installed feature for overheating, flooding, predators, entrapment and weed invasion.
• Remove or modify a structure that creates a hazard or is not being used.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Control weeds and site impacts

Prevent weed establishment in rehabilitation areas and retained habitat. Weed spread can reduce the open shrub and grass structure used by terrestrial reptiles.

Keep construction hygiene controls in place during earthworks, vehicle movements and follow-up maintenance.

• Clean vehicles and machinery before entering clean habitat.
• Use weed-free soil, mulch and rehabilitation materials where practicable.
• Treat new weed outbreaks early and dispose of weeds according to the site procedure.
• Limit dust, sediment, changed drainage and night lighting near retained habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Manage water and lighting

Provide drainage that maintains natural soil moisture patterns and does not flood, erode or isolate refuge habitat. The species does not have a documented requirement for artificial water points, so do not install permanent water solely for this dragon without ecological advice.

Keep lighting away from retained habitat where practicable. Use the lowest practical intensity, direct lights away from vegetation and avoid unnecessary night lighting.

• Inspect drains, culverts and erosion controls after heavy rain.
• Do not create open pits, steep-sided drains or uncovered tanks that can trap reptiles.
• Use shields, timers or motion controls for unavoidable lighting.
• Remove temporary water, waste and construction materials when they are no longer required.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Monitor rehabilitation

Monitor rehabilitation until vegetation is established and the site is stable. Use repeat searches to check whether suitable habitat is developing and whether animals are using the area.

Set the monitoring period and success criteria in the project approval or rehabilitation plan. Extend monitoring if weeds, erosion, poor plant establishment or fauna incidents persist.

• Record vegetation condition, ground cover, refuge availability, weeds, erosion and fauna observations.
• Repeat searches under comparable suitable conditions where possible.
• Repair failed rehabilitation promptly and replace lost habitat features where approved.
• Share records with the relevant state database and conservation agency when requested.

Sources

• Data_reports_template_-_clearance_under_regulations_NVC_v2, South Australian Government: https://cdn.environment.sa.gov.au/environment/docs/eyre_highway_shoulder_sealing_-_wa_border_to_nundroo_inc_pits_and_bores_-_vegetation_survey_-_native_vegetation_clearance.pdf
• Microsoft Word - Central West Coal Project and Coolimba Power Station Project Level 2 Fauna Survey Report V4.doc, Western Australian Government: https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/PER_documentation/1696-PER-Appendix%20M%20-%20Vertebrate%20Fauna%20Report.pdf
• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/