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Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla)

The Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon is a small, critically endangered lizard of native temperate grasslands in south-eastern Australia. On clearing and construction sites, suitable grassland, inter-tussock spaces and spider burrows must be treated as potential habitat, with targeted assessment and survey required where the species may occur. It is protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Critically endangered.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Critically endangered.

Australian Capital Territory, Nature Conservation Act 2014: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

The Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon lays eggs from November to January, with hatching from January to March. Exact timing at Victorian sites is poorly resolved and may shift between years with local weather and habitat conditions.

Breeding mode: Egg laying. The species is oviparous.

Egg laying period: November to January.

Egg and nest sites: Eggs are laid in arthropod burrows, especially Wolf Spider and Raspy Cricket burrows.

Hatching period: January to March.

Clutch frequency: Usually one clutch per female.

Clutch size and incubation: Clutch size: Not recorded. Incubation period: Not recorded.

Maturity and lifespan: Matures within 1 year and generally lives for less than 2 years in the wild.

Timing can vary between years and regions, so for this critically endangered species use the approved habitat assessment and targeted survey guidance before clearing, and confirm controls with DEECA, DCCEEW and the Recovery Team.

  • Breeding and egg laying: Eggs are laid from November to January, in arthropod burrows that should be treated as breeding places.
  • Hatching and young: Eggs hatch from January to March, so recently emerged young may be present during this period.
  • Shelter in arthropod burrows: Spider and other arthropod burrows provide shelter and overwintering habitat throughout the year.
  • Highest clearing risk: Avoid clearing and ground disturbance from November to March where habitat, spider burrows or other potential refuges are present, and follow the approved targeted survey and management process.

Identification: Appearance

The Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon is a small, stout lizard without an external ear opening. It is difficult to detect in the field and should be identified by an experienced ecologist or using the current survey guidance for Grassland Earless Dragons.

Adults have a light to dark brown back, with three thin white lines running along the body. Darker transverse bands divide the back into segments.

The body is stout, with short, robust legs. Some individuals have yellow or orange colouration on the throat, sides of the head, flanks, underside, groin and underside of the tail. Adult males can show orange reproductive colouration, mainly in autumn and spring.

Identification: Size and field recognition

Adults are 50 to 70 mm from snout to vent and generally less than 150 mm from head to tail. Body mass is 5 to 9 g.

The species lacks an external ear opening and a functional tympanum. These features, together with the dorsal pattern and enlarged spinous scales, help separate it from related earless dragons.

  • Handle any suspected animal only under an approved wildlife handling procedure.
  • Photograph the animal, including the back, head and side of the body, before release where this can be done safely.

Identification: Calls and similar species

No call or echolocation system is associated with this lizard. Visual searches, trapping and inspection of suitable refuges are used instead.

The species was formerly treated as Tympanocryptis lineata pinguicolla. Queensland records near Toowoomba that were once attributed to this species are now considered to be Tympanocryptis tetraporophora.

  • Do not rely on colour alone. Colour can vary between individuals and with environmental or physiological condition.
  • Seek taxonomic advice where an earless dragon is recorded outside the confirmed southern highlands and Victorian range.

Identification: Field signs

There is no dependable field sign such as a distinctive dropping, nest, stain, odour or call. Spider and other arthropod burrows are useful habitat indicators, but their presence does not confirm that a dragon is present.

A direct sighting, a captured animal or a verified image is needed to confirm occurrence. Record the location accurately and avoid disturbing nearby tussocks, rocks and burrows.

  • Look for a small lizard moving between tussocks and open inter-tussock spaces.
  • Record the habitat condition, burrow availability, vegetation structure and nearby disturbance when reporting a detection.

Distribution: Current Australian range

The species formerly occupied native temperate grasslands across south-eastern Australia. Current confirmed populations are concentrated in the ACT and adjacent southern New South Wales, while the Victorian population was considered absent for decades before its rediscovery in January 2023.

Current confirmed records are from the ACT and adjacent parts of the southern highlands of New South Wales. In the ACT, populations occur in the Majura Valley and Jerrabomberra Valley. In New South Wales, records include the Monaro plains near Cooma.

A Victorian animal was rediscovered west of Melbourne in 2023. The Victorian historical range extended across basalt plain grasslands north and west of Melbourne, the Geelong and Werribee areas, Rutherglen and Maryborough.

  • ACT, Majura Valley and Jerrabomberra Valley.
  • New South Wales, southern highlands and Monaro plains near Cooma.
  • Victoria, the western and northern outskirts of Melbourne and former basalt plain grasslands, with a current rediscovered population west of Melbourne.

Distribution: Mapped jurisdictions and taxonomic caution

The species is mapped in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Confirmed current information supports the ACT, adjacent New South Wales and the rediscovered Victorian population. Queensland records near Toowoomba have been reassigned to Tympanocryptis tetraporophora.

Any mapped occurrence in a project database should be checked against current taxonomic and government records before works are approved. There is no established overseas range.

  • Treat mapped potential habitat as a screening trigger, not as proof that the species occurs on a site.
  • Include the species in environmental assessments where potential habitat is present, including suitable habitat outside the current modelled area if field observations indicate quality grassland.

Distribution: Victorian project screening

Potential habitat is mapped across parts of Melbourne’s outskirts and the wider Victorian Volcanic Plain. The habitat distribution model helps target field assessment, but it does not predict presence at a particular location.

Historical records and the 2023 rediscovery mean that remnant native grassland should not be dismissed because it is small, degraded or close to urban development.

  • Check the Victorian habitat distribution model and current planning controls.
  • Arrange a habitat assessment before clearing, earthworks, road construction or service installation in potential habitat.
  • Use targeted survey results and advice from the relevant recovery team or regulator to guide project decisions.

Habitat: Grassland vegetation

The Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon is a specialist of native temperate grasslands, especially open grassland with tussocks, inter-tussock spaces and suitable invertebrate burrows. On a works site, habitat quality depends on both vegetation structure and the availability of small refuges in the soil and at ground level.

Look for remnant native grassland dominated by wallaby grasses, spear grasses and tussock grasses. Kangaroo Grass may also occur. Victorian historical habitat was commonly associated with basalt plains and western basalt plain grasslands.

The species can persist in species-poor or degraded grassland where refuge structures remain. Native grassland that has been ploughed, cropped or heavily improved is less suitable, but adjacent remnants and partially recovered areas still require assessment.

  • Native temperate grassland.
  • Basalt plain grassland and remnant grassland near Melbourne, Geelong and the western plains.
  • Shorter, relatively open grassland with a mixture of tussocks and bare or lightly vegetated spaces.

Habitat: Ground structure

Tussocks provide shelter, predator refuge and shaded sites for thermoregulation. Open spaces between tussocks provide basking and movement areas.

Habitat may depend more on invertebrate burrows and lightly embedded surface rocks than on plant composition alone. Avoid assuming that a visually sparse grassland has low value.

  • Inter-tussock spaces.
  • Distributed tussocks and low, open grass.
  • Spider and other arthropod burrows.
  • Lightly embedded surface rocks and other ground refuges.

Habitat: Site assessment

Assess the whole habitat unit, including adjoining grassland, drainage lines where they retain grassland, edges and connected patches. Patch size, isolation, past disturbance and seasonal condition can affect whether suitable habitat is occupied.

Use the habitat distribution model to target assessment, then confirm conditions on the ground. Potentially suitable habitat outside the modelled extent should also be considered when field observations support it.

  • Map native grassland and all proposed disturbance areas before machinery enters the site.
  • Mark burrow-rich areas, tussock patches, rocks and connected grassland on the site plan.
  • Maintain habitat connectivity wherever practicable, particularly between retained grassland patches.

Foraging habitat: Food resources

The species feeds on small invertebrates within native grassland. Foraging habitat is likely to be best where vegetation provides both prey and cover without becoming uniformly dense or bare.

Recorded prey includes ants, beetles, spiders and moths, including moth larvae. A healthy ground layer and undisturbed soil support the invertebrate community on which the species depends.

Spider burrows and other arthropod burrows can indicate suitable prey habitat as well as shelter opportunities.

  • Native grass tussocks and low ground vegetation.
  • Open inter-tussock spaces used for movement and hunting.
  • Undisturbed soil with active invertebrate burrows.
  • Grassland with a varied structure and no prolonged loss of ground cover.

Foraging habitat: Land management

Both very sparse ground cover and excessive vegetation biomass can reduce habitat suitability. Drought and overgrazing can remove cover, while close mowing, heavy grazing and inappropriate fire can simplify the ground layer.

Avoid broad pesticide use in or beside retained habitat unless it is necessary, authorised and supported by a risk assessment. Protect the soil surface from compaction and disturbance.

  • Retain native tussocks and inter-tussock spaces.
  • Use weed control methods that minimise impacts on native grasses and invertebrates.
  • Avoid unnecessary soil stripping, grading, compaction and stockpiling over grassland.
  • Manage retained grassland to maintain varied cover rather than a uniformly short or uniformly tall sward.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places

Eggs are laid in arthropod burrows, particularly wolf spider and raspy cricket burrows. These small ground features can be damaged by vehicles, grading, cultivation, soil removal and compaction, so they should be treated as breeding places wherever suitable grassland is present.

Spider burrows are an important habitat feature and provide breeding habitat for the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon. Wolf spider, raspy cricket and other arthropod burrows can also provide shelter and nest sites.

Do not fill, collapse, probe or remove burrows during site preparation. A burrow-rich area may remain important even when no dragon is seen.

  • Wolf spider burrows.
  • Raspy cricket burrows.
  • Other intact arthropod burrows in native grassland.
  • Inter-tussock ground with low levels of soil disturbance.

Breeding habitat: Breeding period

Eggs are laid from November to January and hatch from January to March. Females usually produce one clutch, and the species is short lived.

Because breeding information is limited and adults and young may be hard to detect, protect suitable breeding habitat throughout the year rather than relying only on seasonal restrictions.

Egg laying: November to January

Hatching: January to March

  • Schedule habitat assessment and survey before clearing or ground disturbance.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, access tracks and storage areas out of burrow-rich grassland.
  • If a dragon or suspected breeding place is found, stop work locally and obtain advice from the fauna spotter catcher, project ecologist and relevant regulator.

Breeding habitat: Construction controls

Set out exclusion areas around confirmed habitat and any areas identified for further assessment. The required controls will depend on the approval pathway, site layout and survey findings.

Do not relocate animals or disturb burrows unless this is specifically authorised and covered by an approved species management approach.

  • Fence and sign retained habitat before vegetation clearing.
  • Use designated access routes and avoid turning machinery in grassland.
  • Keep fire, excavation, trenching and spoil placement away from retained habitat.
  • Inspect exclusion fencing regularly and repair breaches promptly.

Sheltering habitat: Refuge features

The species shelters in spider, raspy cricket and other arthropod burrows, as well as among grass tussocks and lightly embedded surface rocks. These features provide refuge from predators and extreme temperatures and may also support overwintering.

Look for intact burrows in open native grassland, especially around tussocks. Tussocks provide shaded shelter, while open spaces allow movement and thermoregulation.

Lightly embedded surface rocks and other small ground refuges may also be used. Retain these features in place.

  • Spider burrows and other arthropod burrows.
  • Bases of native grass tussocks.
  • Open spaces between tussocks.
  • Lightly embedded rocks and undisturbed ground cover.

Sheltering habitat: Disturbance risks

Vehicle movements, trenching, grading, ploughing, compaction, mowing and soil stockpiling can destroy burrows and remove cover. Predators can also use cleared corridors and disturbed edges to access remaining habitat.

Avoid creating isolated strips of grassland beside works areas. Retained habitat should remain connected where possible and should not be separated by unnecessary roads, drains or compounds.

  • Keep vehicles and plant on formed access routes.
  • Exclude laydown areas, spoil, washdown areas and refuelling points from native grassland.
  • Control rabbits, feral cats and foxes through an approved site or reserve management program.
  • Maintain ground cover during drought and avoid activities that expose large areas of soil.

Sheltering habitat: Handling suspected animals

A suspected dragon should be left in place unless it is at immediate risk from works. Use a trained fauna spotter catcher and follow the approved project procedure for capture, temporary containment and release.

Record the exact location, habitat features and direction of movement. Check nearby burrows and tussocks before work resumes.

  • Pause work in the immediate area.
  • Keep people, dogs and machinery away from the animal.
  • Obtain identification and regulatory advice before any relocation or habitat disturbance.
  • Report confirmed records through the project’s environmental incident and biodiversity recording systems.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

This is a critically endangered species with very little tolerance for further habitat loss or poorly controlled disturbance. Project controls should focus on avoiding native grassland and burrow damage first, then reducing indirect impacts in retained habitat.

Native temperate grassland has been reduced to less than 1 percent of its former extent in some assessments, and much of the remaining habitat is fragmented. Urban, industrial, infrastructure and agricultural development can remove habitat and prevent recolonisation.

Use the avoidance hierarchy. Retain the largest connected areas of suitable grassland, keep construction footprints compact and protect links between habitat patches.

  • Complete habitat assessment before finalising the footprint.
  • Avoid clearing confirmed or high-quality potential habitat.
  • Keep retained areas connected and protect their edges from construction spill-over.
  • Include the species in environmental assessments wherever potential habitat is present.

Threats: Ground disturbance and vegetation change

Cultivation, pasture improvement, heavy grazing, close mowing, weed invasion, soil compaction and excessive biomass can reduce shelter, prey and burrows. Soil disturbance can destroy the arthropods and burrows used by the species.

Plan weed, mowing, grazing and fire management around habitat condition. Retained grassland needs a varied structure with adequate cover and open inter-tussock space.

  • Prohibit unauthorised soil stripping, grading and ploughing in retained habitat.
  • Keep construction compounds, spoil and access tracks outside grassland.
  • Use low-impact vegetation management and avoid broad pesticide application.
  • Inspect work areas for burrows and animals before each disturbance activity.

Threats: Fire, drought and climate pressure

Drought and overgrazing can remove ground cover, exposing dragons to heat, predators and starvation. Wildfire and inappropriate fire regimes can cause rapid population losses, especially because the species is short lived and has low fecundity.

Avoid unplanned fire and retain refuge structure during dry conditions. Fire planning for conservation areas should be developed with the recovery team and land manager.

  • Maintain ground cover during drought where practicable.
  • Prevent construction activities from starting grassfires.
  • Keep firebreaks and emergency access routes outside the best retained habitat where feasible.
  • Review habitat condition after fire, drought or major earthworks before restarting nearby works.

Threats: Predation and indirect impacts

Feral cats, foxes, domestic animals and native predators can affect small, fragmented populations. Rabbits and introduced plants can degrade grassland and reduce suitable ground structure.

Manage these pressures as part of the project’s biodiversity and reserve management program. Because the species is critically endangered, unexpected sightings or habitat damage should be treated as a high-priority environmental incident.

  • Prevent domestic animals from entering retained habitat.
  • Control rabbits, feral cats and foxes using approved methods.
  • Keep lighting, noise and night works away from retained habitat where practicable.
  • Record, investigate and report any confirmed animal, injury, mortality or breach of habitat controls.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Treat every native temperate grassland remnant in potential habitat as a high-risk survey area. The Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon is critically endangered, and detection can be difficult because it is small, cryptic and closely associated with tussocks, open inter-tussock spaces and invertebrate burrows.

Review the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon Habitat Distribution Model before finalising the work area. Check the model against current aerial imagery, ecological vegetation mapping, soil and topographic information, and recent site observations.

In Victoria, give particular attention to native grasslands west and north-west of Melbourne, including habitat associated with the Victorian Volcanic Plain. Confirm the taxon with a suitably qualified ecologist, especially where records may relate to the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon or another earless dragon.

Relevant habitat features: Native temperate grassland, inter-tussock spaces, spider burrows and an abundant invertebrate food base.

Breeding period: Eggs are laid from November to January and hatch from January to March.

  • Map all native grassland, native pasture, tussock cover and open inter-tussock areas within and beside the disturbance footprint.
  • Map spider and other arthropod burrows, embedded rocks, refuge features, drainage lines, vehicle tracks and previously disturbed areas that retain native grassland.
  • Review previous fauna records, permits, planning approvals, environmental offsets and any Commonwealth prescription applying to the site.
  • Assume that modelled habitat is potential habitat, not proof that the species is present.

Survey methodology: 2. Field survey timing and conditions

Use the Commonwealth survey guidelines for the four Grassland Earless Dragons and the current Victorian survey advice. Survey during periods when animals are active and visible, with preference for suitable weather in spring, summer and autumn rather than cold, wet or very windy conditions.

Plan repeat visits where the risk is high, habitat is extensive or the first survey has low detection confidence. A single negative search should not be treated as proof of absence at a critically endangered species site.

Known body size: Adults are about 50 to 70 mm snout to vent and generally less than 150 mm from head to tail.

  • Survey before vegetation is heavily grazed, slashed or burnt, where practicable.
  • Avoid surveying immediately after disturbance, intense rainfall, wildfire or prolonged drought if those conditions are likely to reduce surface activity.
  • Include targeted searches during the breeding and hatching period, from November to March, where works cannot avoid suitable habitat.
  • Use experienced personnel who can distinguish earless dragons from other small grassland reptiles.

Survey methodology: 3. Targeted detection methods

Use a combination of systematic visual searching and inspection of suitable refuge features. Search slowly through tussocks and open inter-tussock spaces, while checking spider and other arthropod burrows without damaging them.

Use the approved survey guideline methods and any method endorsed for the project by the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon Recovery Team or DCCEEW. Trapping, burrow inspection and handling must be undertaken only by appropriately authorised personnel.

  • Walk parallel transects that cover all habitat types and record the route and observer effort.
  • Search around tussock bases, open bare ground, lightly embedded rocks and burrow entrances.
  • Inspect suitable invertebrate burrows with approved equipment where the method allows it. Do not collapse, block or excavate burrows.
  • Use cameras, traps or other detection equipment only under an approved method, with animal welfare controls and daily checks where required.
  • Stop and investigate any sighting, shed skin, carcass, burrow use or reliable local report.

Survey methodology: 4. Records and reporting

Record enough information to reproduce the survey and assess detection confidence. Submit records promptly to the project ecologist and the relevant government database or authority.

Photograph animals only when this can be done without causing stress or delaying release. Do not retain an animal for identification unless authorised.

  • Record date, start and finish time, weather, recent rainfall, temperature conditions, observer names and method used.
  • Map the survey track, search area, habitat type, burrows checked and any limitations to access or visibility.
  • For each animal, record location, photo, identification features, sex or life stage if confidently determined, behaviour and direction of movement.
  • Record all threatened species, active burrows, injured animals, carcasses, predation signs and disturbance incidents.
  • Report a confirmed or suspected Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon immediately through the project approval and incident pathway.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance, approvals and permits

Avoidance is the first response for a critically endangered reptile. Do not schedule clearing until the approval pathway, habitat assessment, targeted survey, exclusion controls and fauna handling arrangements are complete.

Redesign the footprint to retain occupied or suitable grassland, connected habitat, tussocks, inter-tussock spaces, embedded rocks and burrow-rich areas. Retain habitat beside the footprint where it supports movement or recolonisation.

The Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon is critically endangered under the EPBC Act and in Victoria. Refer a proposed action to DCCEEW where it may have a significant impact on the species or its habitat, unless an applicable approval already addresses the impact.

Conservation status: Critically endangered under the Commonwealth EPBC Act and in Victoria.

  • Check the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 requirements, the Commonwealth EPBC Act pathway and any approved Victorian prescription or action statement.
  • Obtain all Victorian wildlife, flora and fauna handling, collection, trapping and relocation authorisations before field work.
  • For work in Queensland, confirm the species identification and obtain a species management program where an activity may tamper with a protected animal breeding place.
  • Check NSW, ACT, Western Australian and other relevant state or territory requirements before relying on a record or undertaking works outside Victoria.
  • Do not rely on a state permit as a substitute for an EPBC approval where the action may affect a matter of national environmental significance.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Pre-clearance survey and work limits

Complete the approved pre-clearance survey close enough to the start of works that habitat condition and animal locations remain representative. Repeat the survey if the start date is delayed or the site changes.

Mark no-go areas, retained habitat and approved access routes on plans and on the ground. Use visible fencing and signs that remain legible for the full work period.

  • Survey the entire disturbance footprint and an adjoining area sufficient to identify connected habitat and animal movement into the work area.
  • Locate and mark burrows, tussocks, rocks and other refuge features that must be retained.
  • Confirm that all contractors understand the work limits before machinery enters the site.
  • Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher with authority to stop work whenever a suspected animal, active breeding place or unapproved impact is found.
  • Do not clear during the egg-laying period where avoidance is practicable. If works must occur from November to January, apply the strictest approved controls and obtain species-specific advice.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Exclusion and site protection

Set the exclusion area from the habitat assessment and approval conditions. Do not invent a generic buffer for this species. The exclusion area should cover the animal location, its burrows and the habitat needed for shelter, thermoregulation, foraging and movement.

Keep machinery, spoil, access tracks, trenching, dust, chemicals, runoff and night lighting out of retained habitat.

  • Fence retained habitat before clearing and inspect the fence each day.
  • Use a single controlled entry point for machinery and vehicles.
  • Keep grassland cover within the exclusion area intact. Do not slash, mow, burn, plough or compact it as a preparation step.
  • Control domestic animals, feral predators and unauthorised access around retained habitat.
  • Prevent herbicide, pesticide, sediment and fuel contamination of grassland and burrow areas.
  • Provide an approved fauna handling and veterinary contact plan to the site supervisor.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction

Give every worker a short site induction before entering the work area. Use photographs and a simple stop-work instruction.

Emphasise that the species is small, brown and earless, with pale stripes and darker bands. Workers must not pick up a suspected animal or disturb a burrow.

  • Show the location of exclusion zones, retained habitat, access routes and fauna first-aid equipment.
  • Tell workers to stop work, secure the area and contact the fauna spotter catcher for any suspected sighting.
  • Ban unauthorised searching, handling, feeding, photography and relocation.
  • Explain the reporting chain for an animal, carcass, injured animal, damaged burrow or breach of the exclusion zone.
  • Record attendance and retain the induction record with the environmental documentation.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a slow, staged approach so animals have an opportunity to move into retained habitat and so the spotter catcher can inspect each work area. The fauna spotter catcher must have clear authority to stop work without waiting for further approval.

Clear vegetation in small, manageable stages from the least disturbed edge towards retained habitat, where this is consistent with the approval and animal welfare plan. Allow the spotter catcher to inspect each stage before machinery advances.

Use hand tools around marked burrows, tussocks, embedded rocks and other refuge features. Do not push animals towards roads, open water, machinery or isolated habitat.

  • Remove movable materials and debris under spotter catcher supervision.
  • Keep machinery speeds low and maintain a clear line of sight for the spotter catcher.
  • Pause for inspections after each stage, when machinery changes, and whenever habitat conditions differ from the approved plan.
  • Do not use fire, smoke, flooding, chemicals, excavation or burrow blocking to flush an animal.
  • Stop immediately if an animal is seen, trapped, injured, killed or suspected to be present in the active work area.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Handling and relocation

Only authorised and competent fauna personnel may capture, handle, contain or relocate a Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon. The spotter catcher must follow the approved method and minimise handling time, heat exposure and stress.

Move an animal only when the approval, permit and welfare plan allow it. Release it into suitable, protected habitat identified by the project ecologist, not at an arbitrary location.

  • Keep the animal shaded and secure in a clean, escape-proof container suitable for a small reptile.
  • Record the capture location, time, habitat, condition, identification and release location.
  • Never place animals in a box, bucket or bag with other animals unless the approved welfare method specifically permits it.
  • Do not relocate eggs, destroy a burrow or alter a breeding place without written approval and specialist direction.
  • Seek veterinary advice for an animal that is weak, bleeding, burned, crushed, cold, overheated or unable to move normally.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Breeding places and other high-risk finds

Treat an occupied or potentially occupied spider or arthropod burrow as a protected refuge until assessed by the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist. Eggs are laid in arthropod burrows, so avoid disturbance during the November to January laying period.

If an active breeding place, egg clutch, aggregation or dependent young is found, stop work in the area and apply the approval conditions. Do not resume until the authorised ecologist and relevant authority agree on the response.

  • Establish and mark a site-specific exclusion area around the find.
  • Prevent vibration, excavation, spoil placement, vehicle access, lighting and runoff from entering the exclusion area.
  • Document the find with photographs, location, habitat description and a condition assessment where this can be done safely.
  • Contact DCCEEW, DEECA or the relevant state authority if the find is outside the approved impact scenario.
  • Do not remove or replace the breeding structure unless the approved method specifically requires it.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured, dead or unidentified animals

Treat an injured animal as a welfare and compliance incident. Keep people, machinery and predators away while the authorised handler assesses it.

If identification is uncertain, treat the animal as a Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon until a qualified person confirms otherwise.

  • Stop work and notify the spotter catcher and site supervisor.
  • Place the animal in temporary care only under the authorised wildlife procedure.
  • Contact the nominated wildlife veterinarian or wildlife rescue service without delay.
  • Record the cause or likely cause, location, photographs, condition, treatment, transfer and outcome.
  • Preserve the area and evidence after a death or suspected machinery strike until the incident review is complete.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records and stop-work events

Maintain a daily fauna log. Make entries even when no animals are detected, as this demonstrates search effort and compliance with the approval.

Report any departure from the approved method on the day it occurs.

  • Record the area cleared, machinery used, personnel present, weather, start and finish times and spotter catcher inspections.
  • Record all sightings, captures, releases, burrow inspections, injuries, deaths, breeding places and stop-work events.
  • Map each animal and sensitive feature using the project coordinate system.
  • Keep copies of permits, authorisations, induction records, photographs and release forms.
  • Escalate any suspected take, injury, death, habitat damage or unauthorised clearing through the incident procedure.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that the work area is safe, that no animal or breeding place has been overlooked, and that retained habitat has not been damaged. Monitoring should be scaled to the impact, with the strongest response where animals, breeding places or connected habitat were affected.

Have the fauna spotter catcher inspect the cleared area, retained edges, stockpiles, trenches, pits and temporary access routes before the area is handed back to construction.

Repeat checks after overnight works, heavy rain, significant machinery movement or any event that could trap or expose an animal.

  • Inspect open excavations, pipes, drains, trenches and stored materials for trapped fauna.
  • Check that exclusion fencing remains intact and that no spoil, sediment, fuel or rubbish has entered retained habitat.
  • Reinspect marked burrows and breeding places without damaging them.
  • Confirm that all captured animals have been released or transferred under the approved procedure.
  • Record the time, area, observer, findings and corrective action for every check.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance close-out

Prepare a fauna and threatened species report that links the field records to the approval conditions. Report confirmed detections, negative survey results, incidents and unresolved risks clearly.

Notify the relevant approval authority within the required timeframe for any death, injury, breeding-place disturbance, unauthorised clearing or other reportable event.

  • Provide maps of cleared and retained habitat, survey tracks, exclusion zones, detections and release sites.
  • Include survey conditions, effort, personnel qualifications, methods, limitations and photographs.
  • Reconcile every animal captured with its release, transfer, treatment or mortality record.
  • Document any changes to the approved clearing sequence or mitigation measures.
  • Retain the records for future monitoring, audits, environmental management plans and recovery planning.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring relocated animals and retained habitat

Where animals have been relocated or occupied habitat has been disturbed, develop a monitoring plan with the Recovery Team, DEECA and DCCEEW as required by the approval. Use the same locations, methods and effort between monitoring rounds where practical.

Monitor retained habitat for burrow condition, tussock cover, open inter-tussock spaces, invertebrate activity, predators, weeds, grazing and evidence of animals.

  • Use approved non-invasive methods unless additional trapping or handling authority has been obtained.
  • Record live animals, carcasses, burrow use, habitat condition and threats, not just presence or absence.
  • Increase monitoring after drought, fire, major construction, unusual heat or other events that may reduce ground cover.
  • Review whether relocated animals remain in suitable habitat and whether the release area is being affected by works.
  • Share results with the relevant recovery program and update site controls when monitoring identifies a new risk.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every stop-work event, injury, death, breeding-place disturbance and near miss with the project manager, spotter catcher and ecologist. Use the review to change the work method rather than simply record the event.

Where a breach occurred, pause similar work until the cause and corrective action are agreed.

  • Identify whether the cause was design, access, equipment, training, supervision, weather or communication.
  • Update the induction, maps, exclusion controls and clearing sequence.
  • Check whether additional surveys or habitat assessments are needed.
  • Record who approved the corrective action and when it was implemented.
  • Include lessons learned in the final environmental report and future work packages.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Habitat restoration

Rehabilitation should restore functioning grassland, not just provide a green cover. The target is a connected, low-disturbance habitat mosaic with native tussocks, open inter-tussock spaces, invertebrate prey and suitable burrows.

Retain and protect existing native grassland wherever possible. Restore disturbed areas with locally appropriate native grassland species and a structure that includes tussocks and open spaces.

Use the site rehabilitation plan, local reference vegetation and advice from the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon Recovery Team. Do not assume that a dense, uniform grass sward is suitable.

  • Remove compacted spoil and reinstate soil profiles without burying native grassland remnants or burrows.
  • Use clean, locally appropriate soil, seed or plant material that will not introduce weeds or pathogens.
  • Create a varied grassland structure with tussock cover, low open areas and sheltered ground features.
  • Prevent vehicle access and soil compaction during establishment.
  • Manage grazing, mowing and biomass so that cover is not removed abruptly and excessive biomass does not develop.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Burrows and replacement refuge structures

Spider and other arthropod burrows provide shelter, overwintering and breeding habitat. Protect existing burrows and the invertebrates that create them during earthworks and rehabilitation.

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial tree hollows or roost structures for this species. Those structures do not replace its grassland burrow habitat.

  • Retain suitable undisturbed soil and lightly embedded surface rocks where they occur naturally.
  • Reinstate ground conditions that support native spiders, raspy crickets and other burrow-forming invertebrates.
  • Use artificial burrows or other replacement structures only where a species specialist and the approving authority have endorsed their design, placement, monitoring and maintenance.
  • Do not excavate experimental burrows or move burrows into unprotected areas.
  • Map replacement structures and inspect them under the approved monitoring program.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, predators and chemicals

Control weeds without damaging tussocks, burrows or invertebrate prey. Chemical use must be tightly controlled in and beside occupied or potential habitat.

Manage feral cats, foxes and rabbits through an approved program that protects the target species and avoids secondary poisoning or habitat damage.

  • Use hand removal or targeted treatment around burrows and retained tussocks where practicable.
  • Prevent herbicide drift, pesticide contamination, fertiliser runoff and sediment entry into grassland.
  • Clean machinery before entering rehabilitation areas to prevent weed spread.
  • Keep domestic dogs and cats out of retained and rehabilitated habitat.
  • Monitor for weed invasion, rabbit warrens, predator activity and changes in invertebrate abundance.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Water, fire and lighting

Manage water so that rehabilitation remains well drained and does not become waterlogged or eroded. The species uses cooler grassland habitats, but artificial water points can attract predators and alter habitat condition.

Use fire only under an approved ecological fire plan. Widespread unplanned fire, drought and loss of ground cover can place local populations at risk.

  • Prevent concentrated runoff, ponding, erosion and sediment deposition across burrow-rich habitat.
  • Do not add permanent water points unless they are justified by the approved habitat plan and designed to avoid predator concentration.
  • Keep construction and security lighting directed away from retained habitat and use the lowest practical intensity and duration.
  • Avoid burning occupied or potential habitat during the breeding and hatching period unless specifically approved.
  • After fire, drought or heatwaves, check ground cover, burrows, prey resources and animal presence before restarting disturbance.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring and handover

Set measurable rehabilitation objectives and continue monitoring until habitat condition is stable and the site is accepted by the land manager and relevant authorities. Critically endangered species recovery needs a long-term view, particularly where habitat is fragmented.

Link rehabilitation monitoring with the wider Victorian recovery program and any reintroduction planning.

  • Monitor native cover, tussock distribution, open inter-tussock spaces, burrow availability, invertebrate resources, weeds, predators and soil condition.
  • Use repeat surveys under comparable conditions and retain permanent photographs and mapped reference points.
  • Inspect fencing, access controls, drainage, lighting and any approved artificial burrows after storms, fire and construction activity.
  • Do not remove protection measures because vegetation has germinated. Keep controls until the habitat and refuge features are functioning.
  • Review the rehabilitation plan when monitoring shows poor establishment, excessive biomass, weed invasion, loss of burrows or a decline in detections.

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