Range Extension of the Millewa Skink 'Hemiergis Millewae' in the Murray-Sunset National Park, Victoria

2008·1.1 MB·English

Contributions
Range extension ofthe Millewa Skink Hemiergis millewae in
the Murray-Sunset National Park, Victoria.
Dale G Nimmo1 Lisa M Spence-Bailey3 and Sally Kenny3
,
'LandscapeEcologyResearchGroup,SchoolofLifeandEnvironmentalSciences,DeakinUniversity,
221 BurwoodHighway,Burwood,Victoria3125
-DepartmentofZoology,LaTrobeUniversity,Bundoora,Victoria3086
SchoolofBotany,LaTrobeUniversity,Bundoora,Victoria3086
Abstract
Thisarticlereportsarangeextensionforthecriticallyendangered Millewa SkinkHemiergismillewae
iinnVmiacttourriae.mAanllienedivviedgueatlaHt.iomni,llneewaaretwhaesefaosutnedrnapperdogxeimoaftetlhye8M5ukrmraeya-stSuonfsietstfoNramteironkanlowPnarrkanogne
27 March 2007. Sitecharacteristicsaredescribed, anda listofotherreptile species found atthe same
msietendisedproinviodredde.rFtuorgtuhiedrertehseeamrachnaignteomtehnethoabfitthaitsasspseocciieast.i{oTnhseaVnidctodriisatnriNbauttuiraolnisotf1H2.5m(4i)l2l0e0w8a,e1i1s0-r1e1c3o)m-
Introduction
The Millewa Skink Hemiergis millewae is (Coventry 1976; Swan and Watharow
a small, thigmothermic skink (snout-vent 2005). A reliance on large clumps of
length 58 mm) that occurs in mallee vege- Triodia may explain why the species has
tation ofsouthern Australia (Cogger 1989; not been recorded in early post-fire serai
Swan and Watharow 2005). Hemiergis stages, which generally lack this resource
millewae has a disjunct distribution, with (Robertson et al. 1989, Noble and Vines
isolated populations known from southern 1993). As a consequence ofits association
Western Australia, south-central South with mature mallee vegetation, combined
Australiaand south-eastern South Australia with a highly localised distribution and
extending into north-western Victoria perceived low vagility (Robertson et al.
(Cogger2000; Wilson and Swan2003). 1989), H. millewae is believed to beat risk
Cogger (1989) notes that H. millewae is of severe wildfire (Robertson et al 1989;
one ofseven species ofreptiles with a dis- DSE 2003c/; Swan and Watharow 2005).
tribution essentially limited to mallee
eucalypt environments in Australia. In Species record
Victoria, Hemiergis millewae is listed as On 27 March 2007, as part ofa major pro-
critically endangered owing to its limited ject investigating the response offauna to
distribution (DSE 20037?). To date, the fire regimes in the Murray mallee region,
species is known from 62 records in we trapped an individual ofH. millewae on
Victoria (Museum Victoria 2007) confined the eastern edge of the Murray-Sunset
to a small area in the far western edge of National Park. This record is approximately
the Murray-Sunset National Park (Fig. 1) 85km east ofthe known range, and hence
(Swan and Watharow2005). represents a significant range extension for
Information on this species is scarce. this threatened species in the state of
Field-guides report the habitat ofH. mille- Victoria.
wae as ‘Spinifex [Triodia scariosa The individual (Fig. 3) was captured in a
cWlautmhpasrowwit2h00a5)l.itteRrobbeuritldsounp’et(aSlwa(n19a8n9d)] 2s0p-alcietrdeaptit5famll tirnatpe,rvoalnseaolfon1g0api5tf0alml tdrraipfst
suggested that large clumps of Triodia fence at the site. Pitfall traps at this site
(Fig. 2) offer the species a suitable micro- had been opened for five nights during
climate withoutwhich itwould be unlikely November 2006 (with no records ofH.
to survive. Hemiergis millewae also is millewae), and five nights in March 2007
reported to depend on Triodia for food when the recordwasobtained.
(Robertson etal. 1989), preying mainly on Other reptile species trapped at this site
invertebrates which inhabit clumps include: Nobbi DragonAmphibolurusnobbi
coggeri, Mallee Dragon Ctenophornsfordi,
110 The Victorian Naturalist
Contributions
i;
Newrecord
• Pastrecords
Fig. 1. Distribution map ofthe Millewa Skink, Hemiergis millewae in Victoria, including past
records(representedascircles)andthecurrentrecord(representedasasquare)
Fig.2. LargeclumpofTriodiascariosaatthesitefromwhichtheindividualwascaptured.
Vol. 125 (4) 2008 111
Contributions
Painted Dragon Ctenophorus pictus, This record is consistent with past
Central Bearded Dragon Pogona vitticeps, records ofH. millewae in mature mallee
Murray Striped Skink Ctenotus brachy- vegetation (Robertson et al. 1989; Foulkes
onyx, Regal Striped Skink Ctenotus regius, and Gillen 2000). However, uncertainty
StBopovouitgtattieandtvaiB,lulCrero’osmwSmiknoignnkSkSLiceranilksytL-aefrobioostutgaaPipynugvnioclpltuiais-, trluaertmgeaesri,naspdaiatsstcihtnyoctwpophpoeuptulhlaeatrtiiotonhni,csoornretciionsrudpoaurcstonwositftiha-
Dleeplimdaopoaduustsr,aSliosuthaenrdn BLeegaldeesds GLiezcakrod tShuensektnCoowunntrpyo.pulations in the western
Diplodactylusdamaeus. More information on the distribution and
Thesitewasonadunewithacanopy2-3 m habitat associations of Et. millewae is
high composed of Dumosa Mallee required in order to make informed man-
Eucalyptus dumosa, Slender-leaf Mallee agement decisions for the species’ conser-
E. leptophyllaand YellowMalleeE. costa- vation. As such, research into the ecologi-
ta, and a shrub layer composed of Stiff cal requirements ofH. millewae is highly
Westringia Westringia rigida, Mallee Tea- recommended.
tree Leptospermum coriaceum, Small
Cooba Acacia ligulata and DwarfNealie Acknowledgements
A. wilhelmiana. The vegetation generally Funding for the project which produced this
wasopenwithapatchyshrub layer(Fig4). Prreocjoerctd)(htahsebeMeanllpereoviFdierdebayndLaBnidodainvdeWrastiteyr
The ground cover (measured by a line- Australia, the Mallee Catchment Management
transect) was predominantly leaf litter Authority, Parks Victoria, Department of
(58.7%), but also included bare ground Sustainability and Environment Victoria,
(8.1%), cryptogamic crust (21.5%), and Department for Environment and Heritage SA,
Lower Murray Darling Catchment Management
Triodia scariosa (10.5%) (Fig 2). The soil Authority, Department of Environment and
type was loamy sands. Satellite imagery Conservation NSW, Australian Wildlife
indicates that the site has not been burnt Conservancy and Birds Australia. Thanks also
since 1977. go to the Mallee Fire and Biodiversity Team
Fig.3.TheindividualMillewaSkinkHemiergismillewaecapturedneartheeasternedgeofthe
Murray-SunsetNational Park.
112 The Victorian Naturalist
Contributions
Fig.4. Photographofsite inwhichtheindividualMillewaSkinkHemiergismillewaewascaptured.
(Andrew Bennett, Mike Clarke, Luke Kelly, Museum Victoria (2007). Bioinformatics Victorian
Sarah Fergusson, Rick Taylor, Simon Watson, Faunal Web Site. Published on the Internet;
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/bioinformatics/
Kate Callister and Lauren Brown) for technical [accessed30June2007; 14:10GMT]
and moral support. Thanks also go to Alistair NobleJCandVinesRG(1993)FireStudiesinMallee
Stewart for kindly producing the distribution {Eucalyptus spp.) Communities ofWestern New
map,andthemanyvolunteerswhohaveassisted South Wales: Grass Fuel Dynamics and Associated
uswithourwork. Weather Patterns. The RangelandJournal 15,
270-297.
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FoulkesJ N and GillenJ S (Eds)(2000) A Biological Received9August2007;accepted24January’2008
Survey ofthe Murray Mallee, South Australia.
Biological Survey and Research, Department for
Environment and Heritage and Geographic Analysis
and Research Unit, DepartmentforTransport,Urban
PlanningandtheArts.
Vol. 125(4) 2008 113