Characteristics of Litters and Juvenile Dispersal in the Endangered Australian Skink Tiliqua adelaidensis

Milne, Tim; Bull, C. Michael; Hutchinson, Mark N.

doi:10.1670/0022-1511(2002)036[0110:colajd]2.0.co;2

Cited by 24 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…The burrows built by spiders and scorpions are frequently used by other invertebrates (Clayton et al, 2019), small reptiles (Clayton et al, 2019; Pianka & Pianka, 1976), and even small mammals (Haythornthwaite & Dickman, 2006). They offer protection from thermal, moisture and UV stresses (Mason et al, 2013; Shorthouse & Marples, 1980; Steves et al, 2021) as well as from predators (Cooper Jr. et al, 2000), and a safe environment for young (Milne et al, 2002). Some species, such as the nationally threatened (EPBC Act 1999) pygmy bluetongue lizard ( Tiliqua adelaidensis ), are not only reliant on abandoned spider burrows for shelter but their populations are limited by suitable available burrows (Souter et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of drought, precipitation and fossorial mammal reintroduction on the density of fossorial arthropods and their burrows in arid Australia

Coulter¹,

West²,

Moseby³

2023

Austral Ecology

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The density and abundance of arid‐dwelling taxa often change significantly in response to precipitation fluctuations and the abundance of their predators. The survival and density of burrowing arthropods and their burrows in arid environments following prolonged dry periods and subsequent rains is poorly understood, as is the potential influence of reintroductions of their predators, such as fossorial mammals. The persistence of these arthropods and their burrows may be important for other species that rely on them for food or use their burrows for shelter. In this study, we examined the density of burrowing and ground‐nesting arthropods and their burrows in Australia's Strzelecki Desert over two years between 2019 and 2021. This period spanned the tail‐end of the worst drought on record and subsequent drought‐breaking rains. We employed a Before‐After Control‐Impact (BACI) study design to examine the short‐term effects of a fossorial mammal reintroduction of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) into predator‐free fenced exclosures and used an inspection camera to detect the presence of spiders and other taxa within individually marked burrows. We observed the largest changes in arthropod abundance and burrow density between a period that encompassed a third consecutive summer in drought and the commencement of drought‐breaking rains, with some taxa declining by as much as 77% (p < 0.001). While the density of harvester ant middens erupted over this time, the density of tarantulas, trapdoor spiders and scorpions declined significantly. The greater bilby reintroduction had no short‐term effect on the densities of the arthropods or their burrows, but their arrival may have implications on their post‐drought recovery. Further studies are needed to determine if the significant declines in arthropod populations and burrows are reflective of normal boom‐bust population dynamics due to the poor natural history knowledge of the arthropods we examined.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of drought, precipitation and fossorial mammal reintroduction on the density of fossorial arthropods and their burrows in arid Australia

Coulter¹,

West²,

Moseby³

2023

Austral Ecology

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Biogenic Structures of Burrowing Skinks: Neoichnology of Mabuya multifaciata (Squamata: Scincidae)

Catena

Hembree

2014

Topics in Geobiology

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Responses of the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard to conspecific scats

Fenner

Bull

2010

J Ethol

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Many animals use chemical signals for communication between conspecifics and for territory marking. The pygmy bluetongue lizard is normally solitary, focussing activity around the entrance of its burrow, from where it ambushes prey, and rarely contacts other individuals. In this paper we examined whether lizards in laboratory experiments alter their behaviour in the presence of scats from conspecifics. In the first experiment, when lizards were offered a choice of two vacant burrows with or without a scat close to the entrance, they tongue flicked more often at the burrow entrance when the scat was present, and more often chose to occupy the burrow with the scat. An interpretation is that lizards use scat signals to recognise burrows that may be suitable because they have previously been occupied by a conspecific, but that they approach those burrows cautiously in case a resident is still present and likely to resist a takeover. Scats from male lizards were inspected (by both sexes) for longer than scats of female lizards. In the second experiment, when resident lizards were presented with scats outside of their burrows, they inspected and tongue flicked at those scats more often if the scat came from a male than a female lizard, but there was no definitive evidence from our experiments that lizards differentiated in their response to scats from lizards that were found close to or far from the test lizard. The results were consistent with a communication system in which lizards use scats to advertise their presence, independent of any direct contact.

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Characteristics of Litters and Juvenile Dispersal in the Endangered Australian Skink Tiliqua adelaidensis

Cited by 24 publications

References 7 publications

The influence of drought, precipitation and fossorial mammal reintroduction on the density of fossorial arthropods and their burrows in arid Australia

The influence of drought, precipitation and fossorial mammal reintroduction on the density of fossorial arthropods and their burrows in arid Australia

Biogenic Structures of Burrowing Skinks: Neoichnology of Mabuya multifaciata (Squamata: Scincidae)

Responses of the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard to conspecific scats

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