Survey guidelines for Australia’s threatened reptiles

Mount Cooper striped lerista

Lerista vittata

Summary information

Distribution: known from an area centred on Mt Cooper Tableland, Queensland (Cogger et al. 1993).
Habit and habitat: a burrowing species located in loose leaf litter and loose soil under logs in semi-deciduous vine thicket on sandy soils, and adjacent open patches of low vegetation on heavier soils (Cogger et al. 1993).
Activity period: unknown but probably year round with the possible exception of the coldest months. Peak activity is likely to be late spring and early summer under warm but not overly dry conditions. The Mount Cooper striped lerista was commonly encountered under sheltering sites in September (Australian Museum database records). Based on habits of similar congeners, it would not be active on the ground surface by day and would only be active between sheltering sites at night.

Survey methods

Crepuscular burrowing species are usually recorded in pitfall traps or by turning objects under which they shelter. Appropriate survey methodology for detecting the Mount Cooper striped lerista would be searching sheltering sites (leaf litter or logs) in combination with pitfall trapping at a time of year when the species is most likely to be active. If the survey is a targeted search for this species, only a series of pitfall trap lines comprising six 10 litre buckets spread along a 15 metre fence would be adequate for detecting the species.

Similar species in range: several other species of elongate bodied, near-limbless species of Lerista occur in northern Central Queensland. The Mount Cooper striped lerista Lerista cinerea, Lerista colliveri, and Lerista wilkinsi all have the front limb absent or reduced to a stump, and two or fewer digits on the hindlimb. However, only the Mount Cooper striped lerista has a colour pattern that has a broad, dark, upper lateral band along the side of the body. The other species have a pattern of fine dark lines down the back and side of the body (Cogger, 2000).

Given the similarity of the Mount Cooper striped lerista to these other species, potential records of either species should be supported by tissue samples and photo vouchers. These should be forwarded to the appropriate state museum (Queensland Museum) for positive identification and databasing of the record.

Key references for Lerista vittata

Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney.

Cogger, H.G., Cameron, E.E., Sadlier, R.A. & Eggler, P. 1993. The action plan for Australian reptiles. Australian Nature Conservation Agency, Canberra. 254 pp.

Namoi River elseya

Elseya belli

Summary information

Distribution: headwaters of the Namoi and Gwydir Rivers in New South Wales, and possibly Bald Rock Creek in southern Queensland.
Habit and habitat: found in shallow to deep pools in permanently flowing rivers and large creeks flowing through granitic bedrock.
Activity period: morning and afternoon, and presumably throughout part of the night. The time of year that the species is most active is unknown, but is presumably late spring and through summer.

Survey methods

Diving or cage traps. Cann (1998) comments that they are carnivorous and readily trapped, being attracted to meat baits.
Similar species in range: none; the Murray turtle Emydura macquarii is the only other short-necked turtle likely to occur in the western flowing rivers within the range of the Namoi River elseya.

Potential records of the Namoi River elseya should be supported by a good quality colour photograph. Photo vouchers should be forwarded to the state fauna authority and appropriate state museum for positive identification and databasing of the record.

Key references for Elseya belli

Cann, J. 1998. Australian Freshwater Turtles. Beumont Publishing Pty Ltd, Singapore.

Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Reed New Holland, Sydney.

Nangur spiny skink

Nangura spinosa

Summary information

Distribution: Known from two sites in Queensland: Nangur State Forest 20 kilometres north of Murgon, and Oakview State Forest approximately 40 kilometres to the east of Nangur State Forest.
Habit and habitat: The habitat at Nangur State Forest is described as semi-evergreen vine thicket (Covacevich et al. 1993) on dry, hard, black basaltic soils and at Oakview State Forest as Araucarian Notophyll Vine Forest on Quarternary alluvial soils at approximately 600 metres elevation (Hannah et al. 1997). Much of the latter site has been planted with hoop pine Araucaria cunninghami. The Nangur spiny skink appears to live in small colonies and inhabits permanent burrows. At Nangur State Forest, the retreat burrows lie on a gently sloping bank of a seasonal creek (Covacevich et al. 1993) and at Oakview State Forest the burrows were located along and uphill of a road embankment (Hannah et al. 1997). They appear to be relatively sedentary (DEWHA 2010) with activity centred on burrows which are used as retreat sites, and from which active individuals ‘ambush’ prey (Hannah et al. 1997). Defecation sites are associated with each burrow, and are located about 30 centimetres from the burrow entrance (Covacevich et al. 1993).
Activity period: predominantly crepuscular, but also diurnal, when individuals have been observed with their heads slightly emerging from retreat burrows or on the resting platforms next to burrow entrances (Hannah et al. 1997). However some level of nocturnal activity has also been observed. Activity is most likely to be during warmer months (spring, summer and autumn; DEWHA 2010), particularly spring/summer when most temperate species of lizards are reproductively active.

Survey methods

The species can be seen by searching visually for active burrows and using binoculars to observe the species from a distance. Surveys by Hannah and colleagues (1997) detected 24 active burrows and 36 individuals at Oakview State Forest over a six day period from February to March 1997. During daylight hours, individuals were observed with their heads or tails protruding out of burrow entrances, or out on resting platforms. Burrow entrances were usually remote from ground cover, or associated with rocks, tree bases or surface roots. Burrows are roughly horizontal, with an oval entrance.
Similar species in range: an experienced investigator could not confuse the Nangur spiny skink with any other described species of lizard in the region.

Key references for Nangura spinosa

DEWHA. 2010. Nangura spinosa in Species Profile and Threats Database, Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, Canberra. Available from: www.environment.gov.au/sprat. Accessed 2010-01-19T10:38:15.

Covacevich, J.A., Couper, P.J. & James, C. 1993. A new skink, Nangura spinosa gen. et sp. nov., from a dry rainforest of southeastern Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 34(1):159-167.

Hannah, D., Agnew, G., Hamley, B. & Hogan, L. 1997. New information on the narrowly restricted skink, Nangura spinosa. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 42(1):90.