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Tryon's Skink (Silvascincus tryoni)

Tryon’s Skink is a poorly known, high-elevation terrestrial skink of the Queensland and New South Wales border, including rainforest on the Lamington Plateau. It may shelter beneath rocks and fallen logs, so clearing and construction can remove refuges or injure animals. The species is listed as Endangered in Queensland and is treated as data deficient and not listed under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Endangered.

Breeding season

Tryon’s Skink has a poorly documented breeding calendar. Surface activity is most likely during warmer months, with timing expected to vary with elevation, weather and local conditions across the Queensland to New South Wales border ranges.

Breeding mode: Probably gives birth to live young.

Clutch or litter size: Not recorded.

Incubation or gestation: Not recorded.

Fledging or weaning: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding or shelter sites: Specific breeding sites are not recorded. Individuals shelter beneath rocks and logs, including cavities in fallen logs.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Activity and breeding timing may shift between years and sites, particularly with elevation, temperature and rainfall, so local weather and recent records should guide survey timing.

  • Breeding and births, timing not established: No month-specific breeding period has been established, so all months should be treated as possible until local survey results indicate otherwise.
  • Warm-season surface activity: Individuals are reported active on warm afternoons, including on rocks and logs on the forest floor.
  • Shelter and refuge use: Rocks, fallen logs and log cavities should be retained as potential refuges throughout the year.
  • Potential young and dependent animals, timing unknown: The timing of births and the period of dependence are not recorded, so young animals may be present during any season.
  • Highest clearing risk: Schedule clearing outside the warmer activity period where practicable, retain rocks and fallen timber, and use targeted searches and fauna spotter catcher controls because the species is endangered in Queensland and breeding timing is uncertain.

Identification: Appearance and size

Tryon’s Skink is a small, poorly known skink that can be confused with Murray’s Skink. Reliable identification may require close examination of colour pattern and head and body scales by an experienced reptile ecologist.

A complete field description and reliable size information are not established in the available records. Do not identify an animal from colour alone.

The species was distinguished from Murray’s Skink by differences in colour pattern and in the scales of the head and body.

Size: No dependable field size is available for use in this profile.

Identification: Similar species

Murray’s Skink, Karma murrayi, is the main similar species. The two species can occur together above 800 m.

Murray’s Skink is more abundant at lower elevations and has a broader range. Treat high-elevation skinks as potential Tryon’s Skinks until they have been checked by a suitably experienced person.

  • Record clear photographs of the head, body and colour pattern where this can be done without handling.
  • Do not rely on a broad location record or a general skink identification for a clearance decision.

Identification: Calls and field signs

No call or echolocation information is established for this species. It is a terrestrial skink, not a bat or a cave-roosting animal.

No species-specific droppings, nests, odour, stains or other field signs are established. Direct sightings and records of shelter use are the most useful site observations.

  • Record the exact location, date, time, weather and activity.
  • Photograph the animal in place where possible.
  • Record whether it was on the forest floor, on a rock or log, or entering cover.

Identification: On-site identification response

If a suspected Tryon’s Skink is found during works, pause activity close to the animal and keep people and machinery back. Have the animal identified by a qualified fauna ecologist or reptile specialist before work resumes in that area.

Because the species is Endangered in Queensland, include suspected records in the project’s fauna incident and compliance reporting.

  • Do not turn over rocks or logs unnecessarily.
  • Do not chase, capture or relocate the animal unless this is authorised and directed by an appropriately qualified person.
  • Retain photographs and coordinates with the project environmental records.

Distribution: Australian range

Tryon’s Skink has a very small Australian range centred on the Queensland and New South Wales border. Records are concentrated in high-elevation country, and the species may be overlooked because it was historically confused with Murray’s Skink.

The species occurs in Queensland and New South Wales. It has been recorded in the McPherson Range on the Queensland and New South Wales border and in rainforest on the Lamington Plateau.

The Queensland record base includes 26 accepted records and 10 specimens, with the last sighting recorded on 28 January 2011 in the cited WildNet information. Record databases are incomplete, so an absence of records does not clear a site.

  • Queensland, high-elevation border country, including the Lamington Plateau.
  • New South Wales, the McPherson Range on the Queensland border.

Distribution: Distribution on works sites

Give particular attention to high-elevation rainforest and adjoining forest-floor habitat in the border ranges. A site can still require assessment if it lies outside a mapped record, especially where suitable habitat remains connected to known range.

Check current state databases, local records and project-specific ecological reports before clearing or construction begins.

  • Review records at the site and in the surrounding landscape.
  • Confirm the taxonomic name used in each database, as records may use Karma tryoni rather than Silvascincus tryoni.
  • Treat old records as useful indicators, not proof that the species is still present or absent.

Distribution: Overseas range

Tryon’s Skink is known only from Australia. No overseas range is recognised.

Habitat: Vegetation and landform

Look for Tryon’s Skink in high-elevation rainforest and associated forest-floor habitat on the Queensland and New South Wales border. The species is terrestrial and has a tiny, high-elevation distribution, so retaining intact habitat and nearby cover is the safest site approach.

The clearest habitat records are for rainforest on the Lamington Plateau and other high-elevation border country. The species has been reported above 800 m where it overlaps with Murray’s Skink.

Prioritise assessment of rainforest on plateaus, ridges and slopes in the McPherson Range and connected high-elevation forest.

  • High-elevation rainforest.
  • Intact forest floor beneath closed or partly closed canopy.
  • Connected rainforest and adjoining native forest in the border ranges.

Habitat: Site features to retain

Retain rocks, fallen logs and other ground cover. These features are used as perching locations and may provide immediate refuge when a skink is disturbed.

Avoid unnecessary removal of ground cover during surveying, slashing, access-track formation and site preparation.

  • Rocks and exposed rock edges on the forest floor.
  • Fallen logs, including logs with cavities.
  • Undisturbed leaf litter and other natural ground cover.
  • Links between habitat patches, rather than isolated retained trees or small remnants.

Habitat: Habitat assessment

A habitat assessment should map rainforest, forest-floor cover, rocks, logs and connected native vegetation across the work footprint and nearby retained land.

Where the project is in or near the known border-range distribution, use a reptile ecologist to assess habitat before finalising clearing limits.

  • Walk the footprint and access routes before disturbance.
  • Mark important logs, rock features and intact ground cover for retention.
  • Include temporary work areas, laydown areas and machinery access in the habitat review.

Foraging habitat: Foraging locations

Tryon’s Skink is likely to forage on the forest floor and is active on warm afternoons. Its diet is poorly known, but available evidence indicates that it probably eats a range of arthropods.

The species has been seen on the forest floor, perched on rocks and on fallen logs. These surfaces may be used for both basking and searching for food.

Keep machinery, stockpiles and spoil away from retained logs, rocks and intact forest-floor habitat where practicable.

  • Forest floor in high-elevation rainforest.
  • Rocks and fallen logs exposed to warm afternoon conditions.
  • Log cavities and nearby ground cover that provide quick access to refuge.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Tryon’s Skink is likely a generalist arthropod feeder. Frog eggs were found in the gut of one museum specimen, but the full diet is not established.

Avoid broad claims about prey availability when assessing impacts. Retaining natural ground cover and limiting pesticide use will help maintain likely food resources.

Foraging habitat: Survey timing and approach

The species has been observed active on warm afternoons. Plan targeted visual searches for suitable warm conditions where project risk and approvals allow.

There is no validated species-specific survey effort available. Use repeated searches by an experienced reptile ecologist, informed by weather, habitat condition and recent records, rather than relying on one brief inspection.

  • Search slowly along the forest floor, rocks and fallen logs.
  • Inspect likely refuge edges without dismantling habitat.
  • Record all skinks, including animals initially identified as Murray’s Skink.

Breeding habitat: Likely breeding setting

Breeding biology is poorly known. Tryon’s Skink probably gives birth to live young, but the breeding habitat, timing, litter size and use of specific breeding places have not been established.

There is no confirmed nest, burrow, colony or other specialised breeding place for this species. Retain the broader high-elevation rainforest habitat and its connected forest floor rather than focusing only on a single feature.

Do not assume that a lack of a visible nest means breeding habitat is absent.

  • Protect intact rainforest within the work area and its immediate connections.
  • Retain rocks, fallen logs, cavities and leaf litter that may provide shelter for adults or young.
  • Avoid fragmenting small habitat patches with tracks, fencing or construction compounds.

Breeding habitat: Breeding protection during works

In Queensland, Tryon’s Skink is Endangered and breeding places of protected wildlife are subject to legal controls. Before disturbing habitat, confirm the project’s approval conditions and obtain advice on any required species management program.

If a skink is found in a potential refuge or with young, stop nearby works and seek advice from the project ecologist and the relevant authority.

  • Set out no-go areas around occupied habitat identified during pre-clearance checks.
  • Keep clearing crews briefed on the species and its likely refuge features.
  • Do not remove logs or rocks from a suspected occupied area without an approved method.

Breeding habitat: Knowledge gaps

No reliable month-by-month breeding period, litter size, gestation period or age at maturity is established. Apply precautionary protection throughout the year rather than assuming a particular season is safe.

Use any confirmed breeding or young-of-year record to update the site environmental management plan and local fauna records.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter features

When disturbed, Tryon’s Skink seeks cover beneath rocks or logs and within cavities in fallen logs. These low, concealed refuges are easy to damage during clearing and ground preparation.

Known shelter behaviour centres on rocks, fallen logs and cavities in fallen logs on the forest floor. Retain these features in place wherever possible.

Do not roll, lift or relocate cover objects as a routine part of site preparation or fauna searches.

  • Rocks used as basking or perching sites.
  • Fallen logs with cavities.
  • Log ends, hollows beneath logs and shaded edges of ground cover.
  • Continuous leaf litter and low vegetation around refuge features.

Sheltering habitat: Pre-clearance checks

Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher with reptile experience to inspect high-risk habitat before clearing. Searches should be careful and systematic, with habitat features checked without causing avoidable damage.

If a suspected animal is located, stop the immediate task and follow the approved fauna handling and relocation procedure. Do not improvise a relocation site.

  • Search the clearing footprint, machinery access, stockpile areas and temporary work zones.
  • Check both exposed and shaded sides of logs and rocks where this can be done safely.
  • Maintain an exclusion area until the animal has moved or an authorised handler has dealt with it.

Sheltering habitat: Habitat retention and restoration

Where clearing cannot be avoided, retain connected habitat and natural ground cover at the edge of the work area. Replace disturbed logs and rocks only under ecological direction, because moving them can expose animals and alter their shelter value.

Keep retained refuge features outside vehicle paths and construction storage areas.

  • Fence or mark retained habitat before machinery enters the site.
  • Prevent sediment, spoil and concrete washout from covering forest-floor refuges.
  • Restore compacted ground and reconnect retained cover after temporary works.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The species has a tiny, high-elevation range and is likely to be sensitive to the loss and warming of mountain rainforest habitat. Development controls should focus on avoiding habitat loss, retaining ground refuges and detecting animals before works begin.

Clearing rainforest and connected high-elevation forest can remove feeding, shelter and possible breeding habitat. Small isolated remnants may also reduce movement between suitable areas.

Avoid the species’ habitat wherever practicable. Keep the work footprint, access tracks and temporary areas as small as possible.

  • Use existing cleared access routes where suitable.
  • Retain connected native vegetation between habitat patches.
  • Do not clear rocks, logs or forest floor outside the approved footprint.

Threats: Construction disturbance

Machinery, earthworks, stockpiles and repeated vehicle movements can crush animals and destroy low refuges. Unplanned changes to the work area can create impacts outside the assessed footprint.

Mark exclusion areas clearly and brief all workers before clearing starts.

  • Use staged clearing with a fauna spotter catcher present where required by approvals.
  • Keep machinery out of retained rainforest and refuge areas.
  • Stop work if a suspected Tryon’s Skink is found and obtain ecological advice.

Threats: Climate change and fire

Climate change is likely to further reduce the species’ already small high-elevation distribution. Changes in temperature, rainfall, drought and severe fire may reduce suitable rainforest conditions.

Protect remaining habitat and maintain landscape connections. Avoid unnecessary removal of canopy, understorey and moist forest-floor cover.

  • Prevent avoidable ignition sources and manage fire risk under the project fire plan.
  • Use weed and erosion controls that protect rainforest structure and ground moisture.
  • Monitor retained habitat after construction for drying, weed invasion and erosion.

Threats: Poor records and mistaken identity

Historical confusion with Murray’s Skink can lead to under-recording and unsuitable management decisions. A site with no recent record should not automatically be treated as clear.

For projects in high-elevation border-range habitat, arrange targeted reptile assessment before clearing and use conservative controls when identification is uncertain.

  • Check both Silvascincus tryoni and Karma tryoni in databases and reports.
  • Submit verified records with photographs and coordinates to the relevant state database.
  • Update the environmental management plan when new records or occupied refuges are confirmed.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Tryon’s Skink is poorly known and has a small, high elevation range on the Queensland and New South Wales border. Surveys should focus on suitable rainforest habitat, particularly the forest floor, rocks, fallen logs and log cavities, and should be led by an ecologist familiar with the species and Murray’s Skink.

Confirm the current name and listing before fieldwork. The species is also recorded as Karma tryoni, while Silvascincus tryoni is used in New South Wales material.

Map high elevation rainforest, known records, likely habitat, access tracks, proposed clearing and nearby retained habitat. Give particular attention to sites above 800 metres where Tryon’s Skink may overlap with Murray’s Skink.

Check WildNet, BioNet, the Atlas of Living Australia and local land manager records. Treat an absence of records as inconclusive.

  • Obtain recent records and assess their location precision and date.
  • Have the field team review photographs and diagnostic features before starting work.
  • Plan for careful separation from Murray’s Skink. Record identification evidence for every detection.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection

Search warm afternoons when skinks are likely to be active. Inspect the forest floor, rock surfaces, fallen logs, cavities in logs and other sheltered places.

Use quiet visual searches along proposed clearing edges, access routes, work areas and retained habitat. Approach slowly and avoid turning or moving cover before it has been inspected.

Where conditions are cool, wet, windy or otherwise unsuitable for activity, record the limitation and repeat the search during more suitable conditions.

  • Search suitable habitat systematically rather than relying on incidental sightings.
  • Inspect both sides of fallen logs and the spaces beneath rocks where this can be done without damaging shelter.
  • Do not use destructive searches or move heavy cover unless authorised and supervised by the project ecologist.
  • Repeat searches across suitable warm afternoons when the risk of impact warrants greater confidence. There is no species specific effort standard available, so set effort according to habitat quality, proposed disturbance and survey limitations.

Survey methodology: 3. Survey records

Record enough information to support identification, impact assessment and future monitoring. A photograph is useful, particularly where Murray’s Skink is also present.

Map each animal, shelter site and potential breeding or refuge feature using the project coordinate system.

  • Record date, time, weather, temperature if measured, recent rainfall, observer names and search duration.
  • Record elevation, vegetation, habitat condition, ground cover, rocks, logs, cavities and nearby disturbance.
  • Record the animal’s behaviour, exact location, photograph, identification basis and whether it was handled.
  • Record all negative survey results, areas searched and conditions that may have reduced detection.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey response

Treat every credible record as significant because the species has a tiny known distribution and limited ecological information. Stop and reassess the work area if a record is made within or near the disturbance footprint.

Use the record to refine the exclusion area and the clearing sequence. Seek advice from the relevant Queensland or New South Wales authority where identification, listing or proposed action is uncertain.

  • Have a qualified ecologist verify unusual records and possible Murray’s Skink identifications.
  • Update the site map and environmental controls before work resumes.
  • Report new records through the relevant state database or approval reporting process.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Plan the work around avoidance first. Confirm the legal status, approvals and handling arrangements before any clearing, access track formation or movement of rocks and logs begins.

Confirm the current conservation listing under Queensland and New South Wales law, including the taxonomic name used by each authority. Tryon’s Skink is listed as Endangered in Queensland and is treated as an EVNT species in the project context.

Determine whether the action requires an EPBC referral. Do not assume that a state listing is an EPBC listing, or that the absence of an EPBC record removes state obligations.

In Queensland, obtain any required species management program before tampering with a breeding place. Confirm all other Queensland wildlife approvals, and obtain relevant New South Wales biodiversity, scientific, animal handling and threatened species approvals before work starts.

  • Keep copies of approvals, permit conditions, maps and contact details at the site office and in the spotter-catcher vehicle.
  • Nominate the person responsible for compliance decisions and stop-work directions.
  • Check whether the approval covers survey, capture, temporary holding, relocation, release and euthanasia if required for an injured animal.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site controls

Retain high elevation rainforest and connected habitat wherever practicable. Avoid clearing around known records, occupied shelter sites and areas with suitable rocks, logs and cavities.

Use a site-specific exclusion area designed by the project ecologist. No standard species buffer is established in the available guidance, so the buffer should reflect the record location, habitat, machinery reach, vibration, access and approval conditions.

  • Fence and sign exclusion areas before machinery arrives.
  • Keep rocks, fallen logs, log cavities and forest floor cover intact in retained habitat.
  • Prevent machinery, spoil, vehicles, lighting and drainage works from encroaching into retained habitat.
  • Do not nominate a generic relocation site without checking habitat suitability and approval conditions.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance inspection

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before disturbance. Search the footprint, machinery access routes, stockpile areas and proposed exclusion boundaries under suitable conditions.

Inspect likely refuge sites carefully. A finding beneath a rock or log should trigger an assessment of nearby cover and the proposed clearing method.

  • Mark all records, occupied refuges and sensitive habitat on the clearing plan.
  • Check that exclusion fencing is intact and visible to operators.
  • Brief the spotter-catcher and supervisor on the identification issue with Murray’s Skink.
  • Reschedule or modify work if conditions are unsuitable for detection and the risk of undetected animals remains high.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and work planning

Induct every worker before entering the site. Explain the species’ appearance, likely habitat, reporting process and the authority of the spotter-catcher to stop work.

Use staged clearing and retain escape and shelter options where this is consistent with the approval and safety plan.

  • Tell operators never to handle, chase, move or collect a skink.
  • Set out the stop-work call, radio channel and escalation contacts.
  • Provide a map showing exclusions, access routes, retained habitat and the location of any known animal.
  • Schedule works to avoid periods identified by the ecologist as unsuitable for safe detection or animal handling.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a slow, supervised clearing sequence. The fauna spotter-catcher must be able to stop work immediately when an animal, shelter site or possible breeding place is found.

Clear from the least disturbed edge towards retained habitat where this provides a safe escape route and is allowed by the approval. Use small work areas and inspect each area before machinery advances.

Give the spotter-catcher clear sight of the work face. Reduce speed and stop machinery when rocks, logs, cavities or dense ground cover are encountered.

  • Remove loose vegetation and small cover under supervision before using heavy machinery.
  • Leave retained logs, rocks and cavities undisturbed unless their removal is authorised and managed.
  • Keep machinery outside exclusion areas and maintain the approved clearing sequence.
  • Reinspect the ground and remaining cover after each work stage.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and relocation

Only an authorised and suitably experienced person may capture or handle Tryon’s Skink. Use the least stressful method permitted by the approval and avoid chasing the animal into exposed or unsafe areas.

Move an animal only when necessary to prevent immediate harm, and only to an approved, suitable location close to its habitat unless the approval specifies otherwise.

  • Keep the animal shaded, secure and quiet during temporary holding.
  • Do not place animals together unless the handling protocol allows it.
  • Do not release an animal into unsuitable vegetation, direct sun, active work areas or a site occupied by machinery.
  • Record the capture location, release location, time, condition, handler and any identifying mark or photograph.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Breeding places and occupied refuges

The breeding biology of Tryon’s Skink is poorly known, although it is thought likely to give birth to live young. Treat a suspected breeding place, occupied refuge or group of animals as a sensitive find until the ecologist and regulator determine the response.

Stop work in the immediate area and protect the feature from people, machinery, vibration and unnecessary handling.

  • Do not disturb a suspected breeding place to confirm its use.
  • Maintain the exclusion area specified by the ecologist or approval.
  • Contact the project ecologist and relevant authority before work resumes.
  • Record the feature, photographs, location, observed animals, action taken and names of decision makers.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or dead animals

Stop work and keep people and machinery clear. Have the spotter-catcher assess the animal without unnecessary handling.

Use a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or veterinarian nominated in the project fauna procedure. Do not attempt treatment in the field unless authorised and trained.

  • Place an injured animal in a secure, ventilated, labelled container kept shaded and quiet, if handling is authorised and safe.
  • Record the location, time, apparent cause, condition, photographs and transfer details.
  • Report deaths, injuries and unauthorised disturbance under the approval and incident procedure.
  • Review the clearing method before restarting work in the affected area.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Completion checks

Post-clearance checks should confirm that no animals, occupied refuges or unrecorded sensitive features remain in the disturbed area. Use the results to improve the next work stage and the wider site controls.

Have the spotter-catcher and ecologist inspect the completed work area, access routes and the edge of retained habitat. Check disturbed ground, remaining logs, rocks and cavities for animals or signs of damage.

Do not sign off the area until the inspection is complete and all animals and incidents have been dealt with.

  • Compare the completed footprint with the approved clearing map.
  • Check that exclusion fencing remains intact and that machinery has not entered retained habitat.
  • Record the inspection date, personnel, area checked, conditions, findings and any corrective action.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated animals

Confirm that every relocated animal was released in accordance with the approval and handling plan. Check the release site for suitable rainforest cover, logs, rocks and nearby shelter before release.

Avoid repeated disturbance at release sites. Use follow-up checks only where they are approved and likely to provide useful information.

  • Record the release location, habitat condition, time, weather and animal condition.
  • Report failed release, mortality, recapture or abnormal behaviour to the project ecologist.
  • Do not move an animal again unless authorised and necessary for its welfare or compliance.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Set monitoring effort according to the scale of disturbance, quality of retained habitat and approval conditions. Monitoring should focus on retained habitat, exclusion boundaries, release sites and rehabilitation areas.

Because population size, breeding timing and movement patterns are poorly known, use monitoring to build a reliable local record rather than relying on assumed seasonal patterns.

  • Repeat systematic searches during suitable warm afternoon conditions where ongoing risk remains high.
  • Record detections, shelter use, injuries, mortality, weed invasion, erosion, fire impacts and changes in retained cover.
  • Submit required records to the relevant approval holder, regulator and state biodiversity database.
  • Keep photographs, maps, field sheets and handling records with the project environmental file.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every unexpected record, injury, death, breeding-place concern or exclusion breach before the next clearing stage. Include the spotter-catcher, supervisor, ecologist and approval manager in the review.

Use the findings to change the clearing sequence, exclusion controls, induction or survey timing.

  • Identify the immediate and underlying cause.
  • Record the corrective action, responsible person and completion date.
  • Escalate repeated incidents to the regulator where required by the approval.
  • Update the site fauna management plan before similar work continues.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Habitat restoration

Rehabilitation should restore the cool, sheltered forest floor conditions used by Tryon’s Skink. Prioritise connected rainforest habitat and natural shelter features rather than relying on artificial structures alone.

Retain and reinstate natural ground cover, fallen timber, rocks and log cavities where safe and consistent with the approved rehabilitation design. Use local materials and avoid creating unstable piles or hazards.

Reconnect retained rainforest patches where practicable. Protect rehabilitation areas from vehicles, trampling, firewood collection and later maintenance disturbance.

  • Replace suitable logs and rocks in stable positions that provide shaded shelter and escape cover.
  • Restore the forest floor with locally appropriate leaf litter and coarse woody debris.
  • Stabilise disturbed soil and control erosion before sediment reaches retained rainforest.
  • Use local native plant species suited to the site and elevation.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Artificial shelter and breeding features

Tryon’s Skink is associated with rocks, fallen logs and cavities in logs. There is no established requirement for nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nests or roost structures for this species.

Use replacement structures only where the project ecologist considers them suitable and the approval allows them.

  • Prefer natural logs, rocks and purpose-built ground refuges that replicate local shelter conditions.
  • Do not install bird nest boxes, bat boxes or elevated roost structures as a substitute for species-appropriate skink habitat.
  • If an artificial refuge is trialled, document its design, location, materials, installation date and inspection method.
  • Do not remove or inspect a suspected breeding refuge without ecological advice and any required approval.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, water and microclimate

Maintain the cool, damp rainforest microclimate around retained and restored habitat. Avoid actions that dry the forest floor, increase edge exposure or alter drainage.

Manage weeds without damaging logs, rocks, leaf litter or occupied refuges.

  • Remove weeds using methods approved for the site and season.
  • Prevent sediment, polluted runoff and construction water from entering retained habitat.
  • Keep drainage discharge away from refuge areas and rehabilitation plots.
  • Avoid bright night lighting directed into retained rainforest and use shielded, low spill lighting where lighting is required.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation for survival of plantings, retention of ground cover, weed spread, erosion, shelter condition and Tryon’s Skink use. Set the monitoring period and triggers through the approval and rehabilitation plan.

Use the same mapped search areas and recording methods where possible so results can be compared over time.

  • Inspect after major construction stages and following damaging weather or fire.
  • Search suitable warm afternoons when detecting skinks is a monitoring objective.
  • Repair damaged exclusion fencing, shelters, drainage or plantings promptly.
  • Review monitoring results with the ecologist and adjust weed control, lighting, access and habitat management where needed.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Handover and maintenance

Give the land manager a clear rehabilitation map and maintenance schedule. Include retained habitat, release sites, artificial refuges if used, weed areas and no-go zones.

Keep the species in the site environmental register for future maintenance, fire planning and construction design.

  • Transfer all animal records, photographs, approvals and monitoring results to the land manager.
  • Brief maintenance crews before they enter retained or rehabilitated habitat.
  • Require ecological review before removing logs, rocks, dense ground cover or artificial refuges.
  • Record any future Tryon’s Skink sightings and update the site management plan.

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