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Wyberba Leaf-tailed Gecko (Saltuarius wyberba)

The Wyberba leaf-tailed gecko is a nocturnal, rock-associated gecko of granite outcrops and open woodland in south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. It is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act and in both states, so clearing, fire, weed invasion and predator impacts on rocky woodland require specific assessment and controls on project sites.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Endangered.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Endangered.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Endangered.

Breeding season

The only documented seasonal breeding information for the Wyberba Leaf-tailed Gecko is captive egg laying between September and January. Eggs may remain in the nesting substrate for up to about 100 days in natural conditions, while adults are nocturnal and may be active throughout the year. Plan controls around potential egg sites, rock refuges and connected woodland, not only during the breeding period.

Reproductive mode: Egg laying.

Clutch size: Two eggs at a time. Captive geckos may lay up to four clutches in a season, but two clutches is considered a likely maximum in the wild.

Incubation: 67 to 75 days in captivity at 27 °C to 23 °C. Allow for up to about 100 days in natural conditions.

Size at hatching: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Three to four years in captive observations. Maturity may be delayed to five or six years under natural conditions.

Nest or egg sites: Natural sites are not recorded. The species is reported to lay eggs, and genus-level information describes soft-shelled eggs in moist substrates.

Breeding frequency: Up to four clutches per season in captivity. Two clutches per season is considered a likely maximum in the wild.

Confirm timing locally using current fauna surveys, rainfall and temperature records, because the September to January breeding window comes from captive observations and natural seasonal responses are not documented.

  • Mating: Mating months are not recorded. September to January is the only documented breeding window for this species, based on captive egg-laying observations, so these months are used as a general planning window rather than a confirmed mating period.
  • Gravid females: Gravid females and the duration of egg retention are not recorded. September to January is used as a general planning window because captive egg laying was observed during these months.
  • Egg laying: Captive observations recorded egg laying between September and January. No peak month or natural egg-laying calendar is available.
  • Incubation: Eggs laid from September to January may remain in the substrate for about 67 to 100 days, giving a possible incubation period from September to April. The longer period is the better planning allowance for natural conditions.
  • Hatchlings: Using the documented 67 to 100 day incubation range, hatchlings may emerge from November to April, depending on laying date and temperature. No field data identify peak emergence or abundance.
  • Active period: The species is nocturnal and is reported to emerge at night to forage on open rock faces. No species-specific seasonal activity limits or peak months are recorded, so activity should be assumed possible year-round.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing risk applies year-round because adults may use rock crevices, slabs, trees and bark refuges at any time, while eggs and hatchlings may occur from September to April. The documented breeding period does not justify treating other months as low risk.

Identification

This is a medium-sized, flat-bodied gecko with a broad, leaf-shaped tail. It is most likely to be detected by spotlighting or other nocturnal searches on exposed rock faces, rock crevices and nearby trees.

Adults have a thin, flattened body, a broad head, long slender limbs, long toes and claws, and a broad tail that rapidly narrows to a thin tip.

The colour is generally tan to grey with dark blotches. A narrow pale stripe runs along the back and is interrupted by about four lighter patches. A pale, usually broad and shallow V-shaped mark occurs between the eyes.

The original tail has two narrow pale cross-bands across its widened section. Juveniles have similar colour and patterning to adults.

Total length: About 20 cm.

Maximum snout to vent length: 108 mm.

Typical adult snout to vent length in one description: 58.3 to 107.7 mm, mean 92.8 mm.

Identification: Separating similar species

The main field comparison in the range is the southern leaf-tailed gecko, Saltuarius swaini. S. wyberba is smaller, more dorsoventrally compressed and associated with open woodland and granite or other exposed rock, whereas S. swaini is associated with rainforest and trees.

S. wyberba usually has narrow pale bands on the widened part of the original tail. S. swaini has broader cream or grey zones rather than the narrow pale bands. S. wyberba also usually has a more strongly contrasting head pattern and a wider, shallower V-shaped mark between the eyes.

Identification can be difficult where ranges approach or where animals have regenerated tails. Do not rely on colour alone. Record photographs of the head, dorsal pattern, tail and habitat, and retain precise location data.

S. wyberba maximum snout to vent length: 108 mm.

S. swaini maximum snout to vent length: 134 mm.

Genetic separation reported between S. wyberba and S. swaini: 14.37 percent cytochrome b sequence divergence in the cited comparison.

Identification: Field signs and detection

The species is nocturnal and is active on rocks and in rock crevices. It can also forage on shrubs and trees adjacent to rock outcrops.

No species-specific tracks, scats, calls, nests, sloughs or other indirect field signs are described in the supplied documents. Absence of these signs should not be used to rule out presence.

For project surveys, concentrate nocturnal searches on granite outcrops, exposed rock faces, crevices, exfoliating slabs and adjacent woodland. Treat a photograph-supported observation as preferable to relying on a brief view of a leaf-tailed gecko.

Distribution: States and bioregional setting

The species is restricted to the Granite Belt and adjacent uplands on the western side of the Clarence River system. Most records are from protected areas, but the species also occurs in or near state forest and private land.

In Queensland, the range extends from Queen Mary Falls in the south-eastern part of the state through the Stanthorpe and Girraween area. In New South Wales, it extends through the northern New England Tablelands and Granite Belt area to the Gibraltar Range region.

The species occurs on the western side of the Clarence River. The documented setting is the western Great Dividing Range, including the Granite Belt, northern New England Tablelands and associated high-elevation open forest and woodland.

Extent of occurrence: Approximately 7,250 km2 in the Commonwealth assessment and 7,425 km2 in the 2025 NSW determination.

Latitudinal range reported in the taxonomic review: 28°20'S to 29°45'S.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

More than 90 percent of occurrence records are from Girraween National Park, Basket Swamp National Park, Boonoo Boonoo National Park, Gibraltar Range National Park and Washpool National Park.

Records are concentrated in two broad areas: Girraween and Boonoo Boonoo, and southern Washpool with northern Gibraltar Range. A Queen Mary Falls subpopulation appears to be genuinely isolated. The area between the two main clusters is rugged and remote, so the number of subpopulations remains uncertain.

Possible number of subpopulations: Two to three, based on the available distribution information.

Threat-defined locations: Approximately three in the Commonwealth assessment; the NSW determination gives a range of one to three.

Distribution: Population size and trend

No population surveys or standardised abundance monitoring have been undertaken, so the number of mature individuals is unknown.

A continuing decline is inferred in geographic distribution, habitat area, habitat quality and the number of mature individuals. The 2019 to 2020 bushfires affected about 35 percent of the known distribution.

Known mature population: Unknown. No estimate is available.

Fire-affected known distribution: About 35 percent in the 2019 to 2020 bushfires.

Estimated post-fire decline: Expert elicitation estimated 4 to 18 percent one year after fire; evidence from a closely related species suggested declines could be at least 30 percent in fire-affected areas.

Habitat: Habitat types and vegetation

Wyberba leaf-tailed geckos are strongly associated with exposed rock in open woodland and dry sclerophyll settings. Suitable habitat is not limited to the rock itself: woodland continuity between outcrops supports movement between formations.

The species is associated with granite outcrops, granite-based open forest, open dry sclerophyll forest, woodland and heathland. Some sites occur on other hard rock formations, including the trachyte cliff-line at Queen Mary Falls.

Suitable sites may include large outcrops, low cliffs, exposed rock faces, boulder fields, exfoliating rock slabs and adjacent woodland with shrubs and trees.

Habitat: Structure and connectivity

Important structural features include rock cracks and crevices, exfoliating slabs, low cliffs and outcrops, large trees, decorticating bark and continuous woodland between rock formations.

Cleared areas, breaks in granite substrate and other open gaps can limit movement between suitable areas. During site assessment, map rock features together with the width and condition of connecting woodland, not as isolated habitat patches.

Known barrier description: Cleared areas or breaks in granite substrate.

Elevation information: The supplied habitat assessment describes the species as associated with high-elevation open dry sclerophyll forest, woodland and heathland, but gives no elevation limits in metres.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding sites

The species feeds at night on and around rocky habitat. It is a generalist predator, so retaining rock surfaces, crevices, adjacent vegetation and the invertebrate community is relevant to foraging habitat.

Leaf-tailed geckos are nocturnal generalist predators. Recorded prey groups include spiders, bugs, moths, grasshoppers, cockroaches and beetles.

S. wyberba is known to emerge at night to forage on open rock faces. Individuals also forage occasionally in shrubs and on trees beside rock outcrops.

The supplied documents do not provide a measured foraging distance, home range or density. Do not apply a fixed buffer around an outcrop unless it has been established through the project assessment.

Foraging period: Night.

Main prey: Arthropods, including spiders, bugs, moths, grasshoppers, cockroaches and beetles.

Measured foraging range: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Foraging habitat: Site controls

Avoid removing or isolating rock outcrops, low cliffs, slabs, nearby shrubs and trees. Prevent works from reducing the cover and invertebrate resources around known or potential outcrops.

Manage lighting, dust, soil disturbance, weed spread and fire-related changes where these could reduce nocturnal foraging habitat or alter the vegetation between outcrops.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding sites are not described in detail, and no breeding-season survey data are provided. The best-supported breeding habitat is rock-associated woodland containing secure crevices, exfoliating slabs, decorticating bark and nearby trees.

The species is oviparous. The supplied documents do not state the mating months, egg incubation period, age at maturity or a species-specific lifespan.

Retain potential egg-laying and refuge features during clearing. Do not assume that an outcrop is used only for daytime shelter, because the same rock and crevice system may support breeding, sheltering and nocturnal foraging.

Breeding mode: Egg laying.

Clutch size: Up to two eggs.

Mating season: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Incubation period: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Age at maturity: Not reported in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not reported. A comparative table gives a mean reproductive lifespan estimate of four years, but this is not a confirmed lifespan or maturity estimate.

Breeding habitat: Features to retain

Retain rock crevices, exfoliating rock slabs, large trees, decorticating bark, low cliffs, outcrops and continuous woodland between outcrops.

Where clearing is proposed near an outcrop, inspect the full rock formation and connected woodland for animals before works. Keep machinery, spoil, firewood collection and construction materials away from crevices and slabs.

Sheltering habitat: Known refuges

Daytime shelter is provided by rock and tree features associated with open woodland. The species may use different parts of the same outcrop for refuge and night-time activity.

Documented shelter features include rock crevices, exfoliating rock slabs, large trees, decorticating bark, low cliffs and outcrops.

The species shelters among rocks and in caves, and is active at night on rocks and in rock crevices. Massive outcrops may provide deeper refuges, but thin surface slabs and small rock piles can be more exposed to fire.

Refuge types: Rock crevices, exfoliating slabs, caves, low cliffs, outcrops, large trees and decorticating bark.

Refuge dimensions: No refuge, crevice or slab dimensions are reported.

Sheltering habitat: Practical handling of habitat

Do not fill, seal, blast, compact or place spoil over cracks, caves, slabs or boulder interfaces. Retain nearby woodland and avoid creating cleared breaks between rock formations.

Where an animal is found during works, stop disturbance around the refuge and obtain direction from the project ecologist or wildlife handler before moving it. The supplied documents do not provide a species-specific translocation protocol.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The principal project risks are loss and fragmentation of rocky woodland, adverse fire regimes, weeds and introduced predators. Impacts can extend beyond the footprint because the species depends on connected woodland between outcrops.

Clearing for agriculture and development can remove outcrops, adjacent woodland, shrubs, trees and connecting habitat. Fragmentation can isolate patches and may lead to local loss of subpopulations.

Peripheral habitat outside reserves remains under pressure from agricultural clearing and development. Roads, construction compounds, easements and access tracks should be assessed as potential breaks between rock formations.

  • Avoid clearing rock outcrops, low cliffs, exfoliating slabs and woodland links between outcrops.
  • Use existing disturbed access routes where possible and keep temporary work areas outside mapped rocky habitat.
  • Map and protect individual outcrops as well as the woodland connection between them.

Threats: Fire and changed vegetation

High-frequency or high-intensity fire can kill geckos directly, reduce habitat quality, reduce invertebrate prey and damage connectivity. Fire can also promote weed invasion and make survivors more exposed to predators.

The 2019 to 2020 bushfires affected about 35 percent of the known distribution. Fire effects may be greater in small or peripheral rock piles than in massive outcrops, and adult loss can reduce reproduction in following seasons.

  • Do not burn cleared material or conduct planned burns beside known or potential outcrops without species-specific ecological advice.
  • Protect unburnt refuge features and retain post-fire woodland links between outcrops.
  • Inspect fire-affected sites for weed establishment and predator activity.

Threats: Predators and weeds

Predation by feral cats and European red foxes is identified as a threat. Fire scars and fragmented habitat may increase predator access to surviving geckos.

Lantana camara is identified as the main weed threat. Weed encroachment can alter vegetation structure and habitat quality around rocky refuges.

  • Keep construction waste, food waste and other attractants away from rocky habitat.
  • Include feral cat and fox controls in site management where these predators are active near occupied habitat.
  • Prevent Lantana and other weed spread through machinery hygiene, clean fill controls and post-work inspections.

Threats: Other project risks

Firewood collection, logging that changes the size and age structure of woodland, altered microhabitat, grazing and associated burning, gold mining and road mortality are recorded as disturbance risks in the supplied material.

Disease and hydrology change are not identified as specific threats in the supplied documents. They should still be recorded as contingencies if a project changes moisture conditions, caves, drainage or rock shelter microclimate.

  • Retain large trees, decorticating bark, rock slabs and fallen structural material where it forms part of connected habitat.
  • Keep vehicles on defined routes and use fauna speed controls near known habitat.
  • Prevent drainage, sediment or water diversion changes from drying or saturating rock crevices and adjacent woodland.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and diurnal searches

Saltuarius wyberba is a nocturnal, rock-associated gecko of open woodland, dry sclerophyll forest and heathland on granite outcrops. The supplied documents do not provide a species-specific survey guideline or detection probability, so surveys should target night activity on rock faces, crevices and nearby vegetation, with effort scaled to the area and risk of the works.

Before night surveys, inspect the proposed disturbance area and adjoining retained habitat during daylight. Map granite outcrops, rock slabs, fissures, low cliffs, caves, large trees, decorticating bark, shrubs beside outcrops and continuous woodland between rock formations.

Record habitat breaks, cleared areas, roads, fire scars, weed infestations and barriers that could restrict movement between outcrops. The species uses rocks and rock crevices for shelter and may forage on adjacent shrubs and trees.

Typical adult size: Up to about 20 cm total length, with maximum snout to vent length of about 108 mm.

Known area of occupancy: About 136 km² in the Commonwealth assessment and 144 km² in the 2025 NSW determination.

  • Search beneath and around accessible exfoliating rock slabs, in crevices and around low cliffs without lifting or moving rocks unless authorised under the project fauna management plan.
  • Do not enter or alter deep crevices, unstable rock faces or cultural places merely to improve detection.

Survey methodology: 2. Night spotlighting

Undertake nocturnal searches on foot along the edges and faces of granite outcrops, through adjacent open woodland and heathland, and along connecting woodland between outcrops.

Search rock crevices, exfoliating slabs, decorticating bark, large trees and low vegetation beside outcrops. The species emerges at night to forage on open rock faces and can forage in shrubs and trees adjacent to outcrops.

Use a consistent transect route and record the route length, start and finish times, weather, wind, cloud, recent rain, observer numbers, search area and all detections. The supplied documents do not specify a required number of nights or hours, so the survey design should be justified in the ecological assessment and fauna management plan.

Photograph animals in situ where possible and record the location, habitat feature, behaviour, height above ground and identification characters before any capture is considered.

Activity period: Nocturnal.

Diet: Primarily arthropods, including spiders, bugs, moths, grasshoppers, cockroaches and beetles.

  • Do not treat a night without detections as evidence that the habitat is unoccupied, particularly where access to crevices is limited or recent fire has affected the site.
  • Use the distinctive broad, shallow V-shaped marking between the eyes, narrow pale tail bands and association with granite outcrops to support identification, and seek expert confirmation for uncertain records.

Survey methodology: 3. Targeted detection and survey limitations

Use targeted searches at every granite outcrop, rock pile, cliff line or connected woodland patch that may be affected by clearing, excavation, access tracks, vibration or altered fire management.

Give separate consideration to isolated patches, including the apparently isolated Queen Mary Falls population and the two broad record clusters around Girraween and Boonoo Boonoo, and Washpool and Gibraltar Range.

Do not rely on general reptile trapping alone. The supplied material identifies the species as active on rocks and in crevices, but does not provide validated trap types, trap spacing, trapping duration or a species-specific detection rate.

Where a development may affect a known or potential outcrop, retain enough survey effort to cover the outcrop, adjacent foraging habitat and the woodland connection to the next retained patch.

  • Treat records from photographs, spotlighting, capture, road observations and expert-confirmed community records as potential evidence, but verify the species because it can resemble related Saltuarius species.
  • Consider the survey incomplete if key outcrops, rock crevices or adjacent woodland could not be safely inspected.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

Set the survey effort, seasonal timing and need for repeat surveys through the project risk assessment, because the supplied documents do not prescribe a minimum number of nights, transect length, trap nights or survey months for S. wyberba.

  • Survey all potential habitat within the disturbance footprint and any connected habitat that may be affected by access, machinery movement, fire or edge effects.
  • Obtain and review current records before fieldwork, including records from the relevant state environment agency and the Australian Government Species of National Environmental Significance database.
  • Submit verified records, including negative survey information where required by the approval, to the relevant state wildlife or biodiversity database and to the project approval record.
  • Report coordinates, datum, date, time, observer, method, effort, weather, habitat feature, photographs, identification confidence and any handling or mortality.
  • Update the ecological assessment if a new record changes the known distribution, number of locations or likely impact.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Treat every granite outcrop, rock crevice and connected patch of open woodland within or beside the work area as potential habitat until field assessment shows otherwise. The species is nationally listed as Endangered and is listed as Endangered in NSW and Queensland.

Redesign the footprint to retain granite outcrops, rock slabs, fissures, low cliffs, large trees, decorticating bark, shrubs beside outcrops and continuous woodland between rock formations.

Avoid clearing or isolating small outcrops and avoid creating cleared breaks between known or potential habitat patches. The supplied documents identify cleared areas and breaks in granite substrate as barriers for this species.

Keep access tracks, laydown areas, spoil, lighting and drainage works away from rock features and the woodland connection between them wherever practicable.

Avoid removing rocks, logs, leaf litter and fallen timber from retained habitat unless the approved fauna management plan requires it.

  • Use the smallest practicable disturbance footprint around each outcrop and retain adjoining foraging habitat.
  • Do not assume that a protected-area location is free of project risk, because fire, weeds, predators and edge effects can affect habitat within reserves.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and planning

Confirm whether the action requires referral or approval under the EPBC Act because the species is listed as Endangered and is a Matter of National Environmental Significance.

Check the applicable state approval, threatened species, native vegetation, wildlife handling and clearing requirements before works start. Obtain any scientific, damage mitigation or fauna handling permits required by the relevant state agency.

Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies potential habitat, survey results, exclusion areas, fauna spotter catcher responsibilities, stop-work triggers, handling authority, relocation sites, injury response, daily records and reporting requirements.

Stage clearing so that retained habitat and movement routes remain available while each work area is checked and released.

Commonwealth status: Endangered under the EPBC Act.

State status supplied: Endangered in NSW and Queensland.

  • Have the approval conditions and fauna management plan available to the site supervisor, machinery operators and fauna spotter catcher.
  • Use a suitably experienced reptile ecologist or fauna spotter catcher for searches, capture, handling and relocation.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Complete the pre-clearance survey immediately before disturbance, with the timing and repeat effort specified in the approved fauna management plan.

Mark no-go areas around retained outcrops, crevices, low cliffs, large trees, decorticating bark, connected woodland and any confirmed or suspected shelter site.

Install exclusion fencing only where it will not block movement between retained outcrops or drive animals towards machinery, roads or unsuitable habitat. Inspect fencing before work and after rain, fire or damage.

Brief all personnel on the species' appearance, nocturnal habits, shelter features, stop-work procedure and the requirement not to move rocks or enter crevices without approval.

  • Keep machinery, fuels, spoil, sediment controls and waste outside marked habitat exclusion areas.
  • Control Lantana camara and other weeds in retained habitat only under an approved method that does not disturb occupied crevices or increase erosion.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

The fauna spotter catcher should control the release of each work area and remain able to stop machinery when habitat or fauna is encountered. Work methods must protect animals in crevices and preserve the rock and woodland features on which the species depends.

At the start of each shift, inspect the active work area, exclusion fencing, marked outcrops, rock piles, logs, trees and any overnight fauna shelter locations.

The fauna spotter catcher should stand where the operator can see and communicate with them, maintain radio contact and release each section progressively rather than releasing the whole site at once.

Use low-speed, controlled clearing near rock outcrops and stop the machine before the bucket, blade or vehicle contacts a marked habitat feature.

Prevent night lighting, vibration, dust, sediment, fuel and spoil from entering retained crevices, outcrops or adjacent woodland.

  • Stop work immediately when an animal is seen, a suspected shelter feature is exposed, exclusion fencing fails or the machinery operator cannot see the fauna spotter catcher.
  • Do not resume until the fauna spotter catcher has inspected the area, dealt with the animal or feature, and authorised the work area to be released.

During habitat disturbance: Rock, tree and ground-feature handling

Leave granite outcrops, rock slabs, fissures, low cliffs and caves in place wherever they are within the approved retention area.

Do not roll, crush, split or stack rocks from potential habitat without a specific approved procedure and fauna inspection.

Retain large trees, decorticating bark, shrubs beside outcrops, logs, leaf litter and ground cover in retained habitat. These features provide shelter, foraging structure or movement cover.

If an approved impact cannot avoid a rock feature, stop and obtain direction from the project ecologist and the relevant approval authority before moving it. The supplied documents do not provide a validated rock relocation protocol for this species.

  • Do not place moved rocks against a retained outcrop unless the fauna management plan specifies the design and location.
  • Do not use hollow-bearing tree or wetland procedures as a substitute for the species' rock habitat requirements, although those features must still be managed for other fauna present on the site.

During habitat disturbance: Animal handling, relocation and injury

If a gecko is found, stop nearby work, keep people and machinery back, photograph it in place and contact the authorised fauna handler or project ecologist.

Only a person authorised under the relevant permit and project fauna management plan should capture, handle or relocate the animal.

Use the minimum handling needed to move the animal to nearby retained habitat with suitable rock crevices, outcrops, woodland cover and access to adjacent foraging habitat. Avoid moving it across cleared breaks or to a different population area.

Keep the animal shaded and secure in a clean, ventilated container for the shortest practicable period, and record the capture location, time, habitat feature, condition, release location and handler.

Take an injured animal to an appropriately experienced reptile veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer as soon as practicable, following permit and animal welfare requirements.

Relevant shelter features: Rock crevices, exfoliating rock slabs, large trees, decorticating bark, low cliffs and outcrops.

Relocation principle: Use nearby retained habitat that is connected where practicable and has suitable rock shelter.

  • Never release the animal into an unassessed location, across a road or into an isolated habitat patch.
  • Do not keep, photograph for personal use, feed or retain the animal longer than authorised.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work records and triggers

Record every sighting, capture, injury, mortality, relocation, habitat feature affected, stop-work event and clearance release in the daily fauna log.

Escalate immediately to the project ecologist and site supervisor if more than one animal is found, if an occupied outcrop or crevice is exposed, if a new population location is identified, or if fire, clearing, weeds or predators are affecting retained habitat.

Notify the approval holder and relevant agency where required by approval conditions, particularly for mortality, injury, unexpected habitat loss or a new threatened species record.

  • Keep the work area closed until the cause of the trigger has been assessed and the fauna management plan or approval authority has provided a compliant response.
  • Attach photographs, coordinates, weather, machine activity, personnel, actions and outcome to the daily record.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance inspection

Completion of clearing does not end the fauna risk. Check the retained habitat, verify that controls remain effective and document whether the project has changed access to outcrops, woodland connections or habitat quality.

Inspect the completed work area and retained habitat for injured or trapped fauna, damaged exclusion fencing, exposed crevices, rock displacement, tree damage, erosion, sediment, weeds and new cleared breaks.

Check that no spoil, mulch, waste, lighting infrastructure or drainage discharge has entered retained outcrops or connected woodland.

Complete a final fauna spotter catcher release record for each work stage, including no-find results and any animals moved or treated.

  • Keep exclusion fencing in place until the project ecologist confirms that it is no longer needed and that it will not obstruct movement.
  • Repair accidental damage to retained habitat promptly under the direction of the project ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained habitat where the approval or fauna management plan requires it, focusing on outcrops, crevices, adjacent woodland, fire-affected areas and any relocation sites.

Use repeat night spotlighting on the same marked routes where monitoring is required, and record effort and conditions consistently so results can be compared between visits.

Report verified records, mortality, injuries, relocations, habitat damage, weed spread and control failures to the approval holder and relevant state wildlife database where required.

Review monitoring results with the project ecologist and change controls if animals are detected in active work areas or habitat quality declines.

  • Do not claim that a site is clear of S. wyberba solely because no animal was detected during post-clearance checks.
  • Retain all survey, handling, mortality, photographic and approval records for the period specified by the approval or management system.

After habitat disturbance: Offsets and residual impacts

Identify and manage any residual loss or degradation of S. wyberba habitat under the EPBC approval, state approval or offset conditions.

Ensure any offset, conservation measure or rehabilitation site protects the relevant habitat features, including granite outcrops, rock crevices, open woodland, adjacent foraging habitat and connectivity between outcrops.

Report changed impacts if clearing, fire, weeds, predators or fragmentation are greater than described in the approved assessment.

  • Do not substitute general woodland planting for protection of granite outcrops and rock shelter features.
  • Obtain approval before changing a prescribed offset, conservation measure or rehabilitation outcome.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure and connectivity

Rehabilitation should recreate the species' open woodland and granite outcrop setting, not simply replace cleared vegetation. The priority is to retain or restore rock shelter, connected woodland, night-time foraging habitat and a fire and weed regime that maintains habitat quality.

Protect existing granite outcrops, fissures, low cliffs and exfoliating rock slabs during rehabilitation earthworks.

Restore continuous or stepping-stone woodland between retained outcrops where clearing has created a break. Use locally appropriate native open woodland, dry sclerophyll forest or heathland species selected with the local ecologist and land manager.

Reinstate natural ground cover, leaf litter, fallen timber and suitable rocks only where their placement is safe, authorised and based on the original site structure.

Do not cover, seal, drain or compact crevices, rock faces or shallow soil around outcrops.

  • Use local provenance plants where required by the approval or rehabilitation plan.
  • Keep planted vegetation open enough to retain the species' open woodland and rock-face foraging conditions rather than creating dense rainforest structure.

Rehabilitation actions: Weed, predator and fire management

Control Lantana camara and other weeds that invade retained or rehabilitated habitat, using methods that avoid damaging rock crevices and shelter sites.

Manage feral cats and European red foxes in accordance with the land manager's approved control programme, particularly after fire or disturbance when vulnerable animals may be easier to detect.

Prepare a fire management plan that avoids repeated high-frequency fire, protects small outcrops and retains woodland connectivity. Consider the potential for large fires to affect substantial parts of the species' distribution.

Coordinate fire, weed and predator actions so that one action does not increase another threat, such as exposing animals to predators after burning or opening cleared breaks between outcrops.

  • Do not burn rehabilitated habitat without a documented ecological justification, approval and fauna risk assessment.
  • Inspect for weed encroachment after fire, earthworks and heavy rain.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Monitor plant establishment, weed cover, rock and crevice condition, woodland connection, fire impacts, predator activity and evidence of erosion at rehabilitation sites.

Where monitoring is required, repeat standardised nocturnal searches of the same outcrops and adjacent woodland, recording observer effort, weather, route, detections and habitat conditions.

Use confirmed S. wyberba detections, continued availability of rock shelter, maintained connectivity and stable or improving habitat condition as outcome measures. The supplied documents do not provide a population density or occupancy target for rehabilitation.

Compare results with pre-clearance records and trigger corrective action if outcrops are damaged, connections remain open, weeds spread, fire recurs too frequently or animals are injured or killed.

  • Set monitoring duration, visit frequency and reporting requirements in the approval or rehabilitation plan rather than assuming that revegetation alone demonstrates success.
  • Submit new verified records to the relevant state wildlife database and update the project record.

Sources