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Wedgesnout Ctenotus (Ctenotus brooksi)

The Wedgesnout Ctenotus is a small, diurnal skink of arid and semi-arid Australia. It is associated mainly with sandy habitats, hummock grasslands and spinifex communities, and is listed as Vulnerable in New South Wales, so clearing, fire and loss of ground cover require attention on development sites.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

Wedgesnout Ctenotus is an egg laying skink. Available species information identifies egg laying in September and January, with an average clutch of about 2 eggs. Other seasonal timing is not recorded, so the bar uses general guidance for arid Ctenotus and desert skinks to support work planning.

Reproductive mode: Oviparous, producing young by laying eggs.

Clutch size: Usually 1 to 3 eggs. Average clutch size is about 2.17 eggs, with other reported means from 1.83 to 2.5 eggs.

Incubation: Not recorded for Wedgesnout Ctenotus.

Size at hatching: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Nest or egg sites: Not recorded. The species is restricted to sandridges, and sandy soil or surface debris are general Ctenotus egg-laying substrates rather than confirmed sites for this species.

Breeding frequency: Two clutches per year are reported.

Confirm timing locally before clearing, because rainfall and temperature can alter activity, breeding and egg development, and because species-specific data are limited.

  • Mating: Species-specific mating months are not recorded. Use late spring to early summer, October to January, as a general planning period for arid-zone Ctenotus breeding.
  • Gravid females: Months when females carry eggs are not recorded for this species. August to January is a precautionary planning window around the documented September and January laying months, not a confirmed gravid period.
  • Egg laying: Egg laying is reported in September and January. These months are the strongest species-specific periods for checking sandy soil, hummocks, litter and surface debris before clearing.
  • Incubation: Incubation length is not recorded for Wedgesnout Ctenotus. A general desert Ctenotus reference gives 6 to 8 weeks, so October to November and February to March are planning estimates following the reported September and January laying months.
  • Hatchlings: Hatching and juvenile emergence are not recorded for this species. March to April and November to December are approximate planning windows derived from the reported laying months and the general 6 to 8 week incubation period.
  • Active period: The species is diurnal, but its active months are not recorded. General desert Ctenotus guidance indicates reduced activity in winter, with surface activity more likely from September to May and during suitable morning and afternoon conditions.
  • Winter inactivity: Brumation and winter sheltering are not recorded for Wedgesnout Ctenotus. General desert Ctenotus guidance indicates reduced winter activity, so June to August should be treated as a period when animals may remain in ground cover, litter or other refuges and may be less able to escape machinery.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is elevated around the September and January laying periods, the estimated incubation and hatchling periods, and the general winter period of reduced movement. Retain Triodia hummocks, bark, leaf litter and woody litter until fauna searches and any required handling are complete.

Identification

The Wedgesnout Ctenotus is a small skink with variable bronze, fawn or reddish upperparts. Identification in the field should be confirmed with an approved regional key where several Ctenotus species occur together.

Adults reach a total length of 10 to 12 cm. The upper surface may be fawn, reddish-bronze or crimson, with stripes and variegation that vary between individuals.

Some individuals have a narrow, pale-edged black stripe running from the nape along the vertebral line towards the tail.

Identification: Similar species

The cited documents do not provide a diagnostic comparison with other Ctenotus species. Several Ctenotus occur in the same sandy and hummock-grassland habitats, including the Fourteen-lined Ctenotus, Ctenotus quattuordecimlineatus, and other local congeners.

Do not rely on general colour alone. Photograph the animal, record the substrate and vegetation, and use a regional identification key or obtain confirmation from a suitably experienced herpetologist.

Identification: Field signs

The species is a diurnal reptile, so direct sightings during suitable daytime conditions are the main field detection method described in the documents.

The provided documents do not describe diagnostic tracks, scats, calls, sloughs, nest structures or eyeshine for this species. Sex-specific field characters are also not provided.

Distribution: States and bioregions

The available records place the species in arid inland Australia. The supplied documents do not provide a complete national range map or a reliable estimate of total population size.

The species is documented from New South Wales, including the Sturt National Park and Strzelecki Desert Western Dunefields area. It is also recorded in Western Australia in the Lake Wells study area, within the Great Victoria Desert Bioregion.

The Queensland habitat database associates the species with hummock grasslands, but the supplied extract does not give a locality, state-wide range or confirmed stronghold.

Distribution: Known concentrations and population information

A large number of records was reported from the Wild Deserts project area, where the species was trapped throughout the project area and described as the most commonly trapped reptile. This indicates a strong local population in that project area, but it should not be treated as a national abundance estimate.

At Lake Wells, the species was recorded mainly on sand dunes. The survey report does not provide a population estimate or a population trend for the species.

Wild Deserts project area records: 366 records, including 352 records from the cited REF.

National population size: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Population trend: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Habitat: Habitat types

The Wedgesnout Ctenotus is associated with sandy, spinifex-dominated arid habitats. Habitat suitability appears to depend on both substrate and the amount and continuity of ground cover.

The species occurred mainly on sand dunes in the Lake Wells survey. The Queensland habitat database assigns it to hummock grasslands.

In the New South Wales assessment, suitable habitat is described as including Acacia habitat and communities containing spinifex or porcupine grass, Triodia spp.

  • Sand dunes and other sandy substrates.
  • Hummock grasslands dominated by Triodia spp.
  • Acacia communities with retained ground cover.

Habitat: Structural features

Important habitat features identified in the NSW management advice include retained spinifex or porcupine grass, bark, leaf litter and woody litter. These features provide cover and help maintain the physical and biological conditions used by the species.

The Lake Wells survey notes that reptile assemblages change with substrate and fire history. Open post-fire habitat and dense long-unburnt spinifex support different reptile assemblages, so habitat condition cannot be assessed from vegetation type alone.

  • Retain continuous Triodia hummocks where practicable.
  • Retain bark, leaf litter and woody debris during clearing and construction.
  • Record recent fire history, substrate type and ground-cover condition during pre-clearance surveys.

Habitat: Elevation and climate

The supplied documents do not state an elevation limit, temperature limit or rainfall threshold. The documented sites are in arid inland environments, including the Great Victoria Desert and the Strzelecki Desert.

Foraging habitat: Feeding information

The supplied documents provide little information on the species' diet, feeding range or prey selection. Field planning should therefore protect the ground-cover and invertebrate resources associated with occupied sandy and spinifex habitat.

The documents identify the species as diurnal but do not state its diet, prey species, food plants, feeding rate or foraging distance.

The NSW threat assessment notes that inappropriate grazing and fire can alter the abundance and diversity of invertebrates, which may reduce habitat suitability for the species.

Foraging habitat: Implications for field works

Treat occupied sandy hummock grassland as foraging habitat even where animals are not visible. The species may be detected only during suitable daytime conditions, and records from the Wild Deserts project area show that it can be widespread within suitable habitat.

Avoid unnecessary removal of Triodia, litter and woody cover. Keep cleared areas, vehicle movements and laydown areas to the approved footprint.

  • Survey and mark sandy dune and spinifex habitat before clearing.
  • Minimise soil disturbance and compaction outside the approved work area.
  • Control grazing and invasive herbivore impacts where these are part of the project risk profile.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Breeding biology is not described in the supplied documents. No species-specific breeding season, clutch size, gestation period, age at maturity or lifespan should be assumed from the available information.

The documents do not state whether the species lays eggs or gives birth to live young, and they do not describe mating sites, nesting sites or juvenile habitat.

For pre-clearance and fauna handling, assume that suitable sandy hummock grassland may support breeding animals or young whenever the species is present.

Breeding season: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Clutch or litter size: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Gestation or incubation: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Age at maturity: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat protection

Because breeding sites have not been characterised, retain the habitat features repeatedly identified for the species: sandy substrate, Triodia hummocks, Acacia-associated ground cover, bark, leaf litter and woody litter.

If gravid females, juveniles or repeated local records are found, record the microhabitat and seek project-specific ecological advice before disturbing the area.

  • Do not remove ground cover solely because no animals are observed during a single inspection.
  • Record age class and microhabitat for all captures during pre-clearance surveys.
  • Use a suitably qualified fauna spotter catcher for any handling, exclusion or relocation.

Sheltering habitat: Known shelter features

Specific shelter structures have not been documented for the Wedgesnout Ctenotus. The available management advice identifies vegetation and litter cover as important habitat components.

The NSW management advice recommends retaining spinifex or porcupine grass, bark, leaf litter and woody plant litter. These features are likely to provide concealment and near-ground refuge, although the supplied documents do not give refuge dimensions.

The species is small enough to pass through 30 mm netting fences, according to the NSW assessment. Such fencing therefore does not isolate habitat for this species, although construction impacts may still remove or degrade shelter.

Documented refuge size: Not reported.

Fence passage information: The NSW assessment states that the species can pass through 30 mm netting.

  • Retain Triodia hummocks and connected ground cover.
  • Retain bark, leaf litter and woody litter where safe to do so.
  • Avoid stripping the entire ground surface from work areas before fauna searches are completed.

Sheltering habitat: Pre-clearance considerations

Search sandy dune and spinifex habitat systematically before clearing. Pay particular attention to intact hummocks, litter patches and the edges of disturbed ground.

Do not infer absence from a failed search. The species is diurnal, but detectability will vary with weather, season, recent fire and survey effort.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The principal documented risks are habitat clearing and fragmentation, loss of ground cover, inappropriate grazing and fire, and predation by introduced foxes and cats. The supplied documents do not identify species-specific disease or hydrology threats.

Clearing or degradation can fragment habitat, reduce population size and isolate local populations. Small isolated populations are at greater risk from genetic effects and chance events such as drought and fire.

On project sites, risks include clearing of sandy hummock grassland, removal of Triodia and litter, soil disturbance, construction of linear infrastructure and repeated vehicle access.

  • Avoid occupied sand dunes and intact spinifex habitat where practicable.
  • Keep clearing, access tracks, stockpiles and laydown areas within approved boundaries.
  • Map records and retain connected habitat between occupied patches.

Threats: Fire and grazing

Fire can directly kill individuals and can temporarily alter suitable habitat. Extensive wildfire and unsuitable fire regimes are identified risks.

Inappropriate grazing can change vegetation structure, plant composition and invertebrate abundance. The NSW advice recommends retaining spinifex communities and refers to patchy fire with a frequency greater than 10 years in Acacia habitat.

  • Avoid broad, uniform burns in occupied habitat.
  • Plan fire management around retained patches of older spinifex and ground litter.
  • Manage livestock and introduced herbivores to maintain ground cover.

Threats: Predators and invasive herbivores

Predation by foxes and cats may be significant, particularly where populations have already declined. Feral goats, pigs and rabbits are identified as contributors to habitat degradation.

Construction camps, waste, food and artificial shelter can increase predator activity around work areas.

  • Do not leave food waste or carcasses accessible to foxes and cats.
  • Control rabbits, goats, pigs and other introduced herbivores where required by the project environmental management plan.
  • Record predator activity near occupied habitat and include it in site monitoring.

Threats: Other pressures

Drought, catastrophic wildfire and anthropogenic climate change are identified long-term risks because they can reduce habitat structure and productivity.

The supplied documents do not identify a species-specific disease threat, road mortality threshold or hydrology requirement. These risks should still be considered where roads, water infrastructure or altered drainage affect sandy hummock grassland.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and daytime searches

Survey design should target sandy habitats with spinifex, ground litter and other cover. The Wedgesnout Ctenotus is a small, diurnal skink, usually 10 to 12 cm long, and may be missed if surveys rely only on incidental observations.

Map sand dunes, sandy plains and hummock grasslands before selecting survey sites. Ctenotus brooksi was recorded mainly on sand dunes, and the Queensland habitat database associates it with hummock grasslands.

Search on warm, suitable-weather days when small skinks are active. Inspect beneath or beside ground litter, spinifex clumps, fallen timber and other cover without destroying shelter.

Walk repeat transects through each habitat type and record the transect length, width, date, start and finish times, weather, substrate, vegetation condition and search conditions.

Record all observations with a GPS location and photograph where this can be done without chasing or handling the animal.

Typical adult length: 10 to 12 cm total length

Key habitats: Sand dunes, sandplains and hummock grasslands, with spinifex and ground litter

Survey methodology: 2. Active searches and refuge inspection

Use systematic active searches in each habitat proposed for clearing, including searches around the edges of proposed access tracks, pads, laydown areas and linear corridors.

Lift loose bark, small rocks, timber and other removable cover carefully, inspect the substrate, and replace each item in its original position.

Do not excavate burrows or destroy spinifex clumps during a general survey. Treat occupied cover as habitat and refer any required disturbance to the fauna management procedure.

Repeat searches at more than one time of day and under different suitable conditions where the first search produces no records, because detection varies with weather, fire history, substrate and shelter availability.

Survey methodology: 3. Trapping where detection is required

Use an animal ethics and wildlife approval compliant trapping design where active searches cannot adequately establish presence or absence. The supplied documents confirm that the species has been detected by trapping, but they do not specify a standard number of trap nights, trap types or survey guideline effort.

Have a suitably experienced reptile ecologist set, shade and check traps, and provide shelter and moisture in accordance with the approved method. Check traps at the frequency required by the approval and close them during unsafe weather.

Place trapping lines across representative sand dune, sandplain and hummock grassland habitat, rather than concentrating effort only along cleared edges.

Release captured animals at the point of capture unless the approved survey or relocation plan requires another location. Minimise handling and photograph diagnostic features only when necessary.

Survey methodology: 4. Fire and seasonal context

Record fire age and vegetation structure at every survey site. The species assemblage changes after fire, with some reptiles favouring open post-fire habitat and others favouring dense, long-unburnt spinifex.

Avoid treating a single negative survey as evidence of absence where survey conditions, recent fire, drought or degraded ground cover could reduce activity or shelter.

Schedule additional survey effort when the species is expected to be active in the local region, using local weather and reptile survey advice. The supplied documents do not nominate a national month range for this species.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a qualified ecologist to justify the survey design, habitat coverage, timing, weather conditions and any limitations in the survey report.
  • Document the number and length of daytime transects, searchers, search hours, trapping lines, trap nights, trap checks, survey dates and all negative results.
  • Map all records and potential habitat, including the extent of sandy substrates, hummock grassland, spinifex cover, litter and recent burns.
  • Submit confirmed records to the relevant state or territory wildlife database, such as the NSW BioNet Atlas where the record is from NSW, and retain the original GPS accuracy, date, observer and evidence.
  • Check current state or territory survey guidelines, threatened species licences and animal ethics requirements before trapping, handling or relocating reptiles.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Treat suitable sandy and spinifex habitat as potential habitat even where the species has not been recorded. The NSW listing identifies habitat loss and fragmentation, inappropriate grazing or fire, direct fire mortality, foxes, cats, drought and extensive wildfire as relevant threats.

Redesign the works footprint to retain sand dunes, hummock grassland, spinifex clumps, bark, leaf litter, woody debris and connected areas of undisturbed ground.

Keep construction traffic, stockpiles, worker compounds and drainage works out of retained sandy habitat wherever practicable.

Retain connections between dune and sandplain habitat instead of creating isolated patches. The species can pass through 30 mm netting in the NSW assessment, but fencing and other barriers should still be designed so they do not trap or isolate reptiles.

Do not remove ground cover merely to make a site appear tidy. Spinifex, litter and woody cover provide shelter and support the invertebrates on which small skinks depend.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

Confirm the current threatened species status in every state or territory in which the project occurs. The supplied records identify Ctenotus brooksi as Vulnerable in NSW and not listed under the EPBC Act.

Obtain any state or territory threatened species, scientific, animal ethics or rehabilitation approvals required for survey, capture, handling, relocation or release.

An EPBC Act referral is not indicated for this species on the supplied information because it is not nationally listed, but check the current Protected Matters Search Tool and the current EPBC list if the project may affect other protected matters.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies habitat, survey results, clearing limits, spotter catcher roles, handling and relocation rules, stop-work triggers, emergency contacts and reporting requirements.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before works, concentrating on sandy dunes, hummock grassland, spinifex, litter, logs, loose rocks and other ground refuges.

Clearly mark the approved clearing boundary and retained habitat on plans and on the ground. Brief operators on the species, its 10 to 12 cm size, likely habitat and the stop-work procedure.

Install exclusion fencing only where it will guide animals away from the work area without creating a pit, entanglement risk or barrier to movement. Inspect fencing daily and after rain or earthworks.

Stage clearing so a continuous route to retained habitat remains available, and clear small areas progressively rather than opening the whole work area at once.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery interface

A fauna spotter catcher should control the interface between machinery and retained habitat. Work should stop when an animal, occupied refuge or unapproved habitat feature is found.

Hold a daily pre-start briefing covering the clearing boundary, current fauna risks, weather, access route, equipment and the spotter catcher's authority to stop work.

Inspect exclusion fencing, silt controls, trenches, pits, spoil piles and machinery before work starts and at the end of each shift.

Keep the fauna spotter catcher ahead of the clearing face and within clear sight of the operator. Use agreed radio or hand signals, and move machinery only after the spotter gives clearance.

Use low-speed, staged clearing where practicable. Remove vegetation and ground cover in small sections so the spotter can inspect exposed habitat before the next section is disturbed.

Cover or ramp trenches, pits and conduits at the end of each shift, and check them before work resumes.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and unexpected finds

Stop work and inspect any spinifex clump, log, bark, loose rock, litter patch or sandy refuge that must be disturbed. Replace retained features in nearby suitable habitat where the approved plan allows it.

Do not burn, mulch or bury habitat features before the spotter catcher has inspected them.

If a Wedgesnout Ctenotus is found, stop machinery, secure the immediate area and allow the authorised fauna handler to assess it. Do not permit untrained workers to catch, chase or handle it.

Handle the animal only as required by the approved fauna management plan and relevant permit. Use clean, appropriate equipment, keep handling brief and avoid exposing the skink to heat, cold, vibration or predators.

Release an uninjured animal into nearby retained habitat with suitable sand, spinifex and ground cover, at a location approved by the ecologist. Do not move it farther than necessary or across roads, cleared corridors or unsuitable substrate.

Place an injured or heat-stressed animal in a secure, temperature-appropriate container and contact the project ecologist and an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian. Record the advice and outcome.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

Stop work for any live reptile in the clearing path, an animal trapped in a trench or pit, damage outside the approved footprint, failure of exclusion fencing, or discovery of habitat that was not assessed.

Stop work during conditions that create an unacceptable risk of heat stress, fire or animal mortality, and follow the project ecologist's weather and fire direction.

Record the date, time, GPS location, habitat, activity, animal condition, photograph, handler, action taken, release location and outcome for every find.

Report any injury, death, unapproved clearing, failed relocation or repeated fauna entry to the environmental manager and regulator where required by the approval.

Update the fauna risk map as records accumulate and brief the crew before work recommences.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Completion of clearing does not end the fauna management obligation. Check the disturbed area, maintain safe controls and assess whether retained habitat remains connected and usable.

Inspect the full cleared footprint, access tracks, trenches, spoil areas and exclusion fencing after each clearing stage and before handover to construction.

Search for trapped, injured or displaced reptiles and check that no logs, rocks, spinifex clumps or litter have been left in a condition that can entrap animals.

Remove temporary hazards, close or cover pits and trenches, and repair fencing or barriers that could trap or exclude animals from retained habitat.

Compare the completed disturbance against the approved footprint and photograph retained habitat, connections and restored refuge features.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained and rehabilitated sandy habitat using the same repeatable search method, habitat measures and identification standards used before clearing.

Track records of live animals, injuries, deaths, relocations, fire, grazing, weeds, feral predators and changes in spinifex and litter cover.

Use the NSW threatened species assessment as a basis for monitoring population viability, habitat condition and the response to management actions where the project is in NSW.

Provide the landholder, environmental manager and relevant regulator with the final fauna report, including effort, records, incidents, corrective actions, maps, photographs and database submissions.

After habitat disturbance: Ongoing controls and offsets

Maintain exclusion fencing, erosion controls and fauna-safe drainage until the site is stable and the project ecologist authorises removal.

Control introduced herbivores, foxes and cats where required by the approval or management plan, because these threats are identified for the species in NSW.

Apply any offset, habitat protection or restoration commitment required by the approval, and map the area protected for the species.

Review the management plan when monitoring shows declining ground cover, repeated fauna injury, loss of connectivity or an adverse response to construction.

Rehabilitation actions: Rebuild habitat structure

Rehabilitation should recreate the structure used by this sand and hummock grassland skink, rather than only replacing canopy vegetation. Retain and rebuild ground cover, shelter and movement links first.

Reprofile disturbed sandy areas to match adjoining dunes and sandplains, and prevent erosion that removes loose sand and ground cover.

Regrow or replant locally appropriate Triodia and other native hummock grassland species suited to the local substrate and fire regime. The supplied records do not identify a single planting list for all project regions.

Return salvaged logs, bark, loose rocks and leaf litter to stable positions across the rehabilitation area, with gaps that allow a 10 to 12 cm skink to move through the cover.

Do not compact sandy habitat unnecessarily, and keep vehicle routes, drainage outlets and stockpiles outside rehabilitated refuge areas.

Maintain continuous links between rehabilitated ground and retained dunes, sandplains and hummock grassland.

Rehabilitation actions: Threat and fire management

Control weeds and manage grazing so spinifex, native ground cover, litter and invertebrate habitat can recover.

Reduce fox and cat impacts where required by the project approval or recovery actions, and control rabbits, goats and other herbivores where they are degrading habitat.

Prepare fire procedures that protect retained and rehabilitated habitat from a single extensive burn. The NSW assessment recommends patchy fire and a fire frequency of more than 10 years in Acacia habitat for this species in that management context.

Record fire history and inspect the response of the species and its ground cover after fire, drought or major grazing events.

Rehabilitation actions: Success measures and adaptive management

Set site-specific success measures for native ground cover, Triodia establishment, litter and refuge retention, weed cover, erosion, connectivity and fauna-safe access.

Inspect rehabilitation at the intervals required by the approval and after major rain, fire or grazing. Record the same habitat measures at reference sites where practicable.

Use active searches and, where approved, trapping to compare reptile use of rehabilitated habitat with retained nearby habitat. The supplied documents do not provide a species-specific national monitoring interval or target abundance.

Repair erosion, replace lost logs or litter, control weeds and adjust grazing or fire management when monitoring shows that shelter or connectivity is declining.

Submit confirmed records to the relevant state or territory database and retain monitoring data with the project environmental records.

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