Ecological Assessment

Scientific Name Common       NCA    Habitat                                               Species Distribution                            Approach to survey                      Predicted   Site Assessments           Likely
                Name         Status                                                                                                                                               Likely                                 Presence
                                                                                                                                                                                  Presence                               Following
                                                                                                                                                                                  Prior to                               Survey
                                                                                                                                                                                  Survey
Eroticoscincus   Elf Skink   NT     The elf skink occurs normally in rainforest and wet Restricted to south east Queensland where          According to Terrestrial Vertebrate    Presence    A 5 night/5 day fauna        Likely
graciloides                         sclerophyll forest where it uses surface cover in the it is recorded from Brisbane and Ipswich to     Fauna Survey Guidelines for             known or    survey was undertaken of (medium)
                                    form of rocks, logs and leaf litter. This skink is    Fraser Island. Distribution is disjointed and   Queensland (Eyre et al, 2012)           suspected   the study area in April-
                                    usually active at dusk and dawn (Qld Parks and        patchy (Qld Parks and Wildlife Service,         appropriate survey techniques for       (high)      May 2013. In addition to
                                    Wildlife Service, 2001).                              2001).                                          reptiles are pitfall trapping, funnel               the pitfall/funnel traps and
                                                                                                                                          trapping, diurnal active searches,                  incidental searches,
                                                                                                                                          nocturnal active searches, camera                   dedicated reptile searches
                                                                                                                                          trapping, scat and sign search and                  (i.e. leaf litter and log
                                                                                                                                          incidental detection.                               moving) were undertaken
                                                                                                                                                                                              throughout the days.
Ramphotyphlops Cooloola    NT       The Cooloola Blind Snake occurs in coastal          In Queensland, restricted to areas between         According to Terrestrial Vertebrate    Possible    A 5 night/5 day fauna        Unlikely
silvia         Blind Snake          rainforest, woodlands and heath growing on white Fraser Island to Noosa (Wilson and Swan,             Fauna Survey Guidelines for             (medium)    survey was undertaken of (medium)
                                    sand. They shelter in sand and decomposed wood 2010).                                                 Queensland (Eyre et al, 2012)                       the study area in April-
                                    under logs and leaf litter (Wilson and Swan, 2010).                                                   appropriate survey techniques for                   May 2013. In addition to
                                                                                                                                          reptiles are pitfall trapping, funnel               the pitfall/funnel traps and
                                                                                                                                          trapping, diurnal active searches,                  incidental searches,
                                                                                                                                          nocturnal active searches, camera                   dedicated reptile searches
                                                                                                                                          trapping, scat and sign search and                  (i.e. leaf litter and log
                                                                                                                                          incidental detection.                               moving) were undertaken
                                                                                                                                                                                              throughout the days.
Mammals

Phascolarctos    Koala      V       Koalas inhabit a range of temperate, sub-tropical     The Koala is endemic to Australia, and is   According to Terrestrial Vertebrate         Likely      A 5 night/5 day fauna      Known - scat
cinereus         (Southeast         and tropical forest, woodland and semi-arid           widespread in coastal and inland areas from Fauna Survey Guidelines for                 (medium)    survey was undertaken of collected during
(southeast       Queensland         communities dominated by species from the genus       north-east Queensland to Eyre Peninsula,    Queensland (Eyre et al, 2012)                           the study area in April-   KRAM survey.
Queensland       Bioregion)         Eucalyptus, (SEWPAC, 2013).                           SA, (SEWPAC, 2013).                         appropriate survey techniques for                       May 2013. The KRAM
bioregion)                                                                                                                            arboreal and volant mammals call                        technique was employed
                                    The Koala is a leaf-eating specialist. Its diet is                                                playback, spotlight, scat and sign                      along with active searches
                                    restricted mainly to foliage of Eucalyptus spp. It                                                search and incidental detection.                        for koalas and scratches
                                    may also consume foliage of related genera,                                                                                                               on trees.
                                    including Corymbia spp., Angophora spp. and
                                    Lophostemon spp. and at times supplement its diet
                                    with other species, including Leptospermum spp.
                                    and Melaleuca spp, (SEWPAC, 2013).