Dynamics of a Temperate Grassland Reptile Community in the Mid-North of South Australia

Abstract

Temperate native grasslands are listed as a critically endangered ecological community in South Australia, yet very little is known about the associated faunal communities. This study aims to provide information on the temporal dynamics of a native grassland reptile community in the midnorth of South Australia. during the study we made 335 reptile captures in pitfall traps, of 248 different individuals, from 13 species, representing five families. These data were used to investigate seasonal trends in trapping rate, age demographics and movement of individuals from marked recaptures. The results of the study provide baseline information on species assemblages that might be used in the recovery and management of the remaining fragments of temperate native grasslands and the endangered pygmy bluetongue lizard that relies on those fragments for its persistence.

Interactions between pygmy bluetongue lizards and co-existing species

“…Feeding interactions with prey species are not reported here, and conspecific interactions observed in the same video recordings, mainly during the mating season, are reported by Ebrahimi et al (unpublished data). Despite there being 12 other common reptile species co-occurring with pygmy bluetongue lizards (Pelgrim et al 2014), we found no evidence of any contact or direct interactions with them, apart for the brown snakes. This confirms an observation by Pelgrim et al (2014) that competitive interactions between pygmy bluetongue lizards and other co-existing reptiles are unlikely to have a major impact on pygmy bluetongues.…”

Recognition of reptile predator scent is innate in an endangered lizard species

“…The first reptile species was the eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis), an active forager known to predate the pygmy bluetongue (Hutchinson et al 1994). The second species was the eastern bluetongue lizard (Tiliqua scincoides), a omnivorous species that predates on small lizards and is sympatric but is not known to predate pygmy bluetongues (Pelgrim et al 2014). Last, was the Rosenberg's monitor (Varanus rosenbergi), a species known to predate on smaller lizards but not found within the pygmy bluetongue's current range of distribution (King and Green 1979;Smith et al 2007).…”