In a remarkable conservation discovery, the elusive and endangered Swamp Skink has been rediscovered for the first time in NSW since the 1980’s along the NSW-Victorian border.
NSW Government ecologists made an extraordinary discovery in Nadgee Nature Reserve, a remote wilderness area on the NSW-Victoria border.
The ecologists camped for three days to conduct active searches, deploying baited, white-flash remote camera traps to detect diurnal reptiles. On the second day, much to their surprise and delight, four individual Swamp Skinks were discovered basking on a dead tree stump.
Due to its secretive nature and tendency to remain close to cover, the Swamp Skink is extremely difficult to detect in the wild, making this discovery significant.
Until now, the species was only known in NSW from a single historical record in the Nadgee locality.
The Swamp Skink is a medium-sized skink with a distinctive body shape where the fourth toe is longer than the third. The species varies greatly in colour, ranging from olive green-brown, yellow-brown to dark-brown. It often displays copper and black-coloured stripes along its back, scattered pale spots on its legs and a white belly.
The highly secretive reptile lives in densely vegetated freshwater and saltwater wetlands, swamps and wet heaths. It basks and forages within dense, low vegetation and shelters in burrows or beneath fallen timber. The Swamp Skink is omnivorous and is thought to live for up to ten years. Females give birth to between one and four live young.
The team collected morphological measurements including body length, tail length and weight, as well as genetic samples from captured individuals, which will help scientists understand the population genetics, health and viability of this newly discovered population. This information is crucial for developing an effective conservation strategy for the species.
Quote attributed to Minister for the Environment, Penny Sharpe
“Discoveries like this remind us how important it is to protect our nature because there is so much worth saving, and sometimes, nature surprises us in the best possible way.”
“This is an extraordinary rediscovery, a moment of real hope for conservation in NSW, and a testament to the dedication and expertise of the Saving our Species ecologists and National Parks and Wildlife Services staff.
Quotes attributed to Dr Michael Holland MP, Member for Bega
“The rediscovery of the Swamp Skink in Nadgee Nature Reserve is an extraordinary moment for the Far South Coast and a powerful reminder of the unique wildlife found nowhere else but our region.”
“This discovery shows the importance of the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program and the dedicated work of local ecologists and National Parks staff, whose on-ground efforts are helping protect threatened species and preserve our natural environment for future generations.”
Quotes attributed to Dr Shannon Kelleher, Threatened Species Officer from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
“On our second day, whilst searching along a track down towards the Victorian border, NPWS ecologist Andrew Morrison spotted something shiny and dark basking on a dead banksia stump in heath along the track.
“To our marvellous surprise – it was a Swamp Skink! We couldn’t believe our eyes, and after stopping to investigate, we found at least four individuals basking on the one dead tree, the first record of a Swamp Skink in NSW since the 1980s!”
Images here: https://bit.ly/4rlYKre
MEDIA:
Lisa Miller | Dr Michael Holland MP Member for Bega | 02 6492 2056
