DAY 1 Terrestrial Env. Fauna of the Kimberly - Mitch Ladyman

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Fauna of the Kimberley
Thanks to all the traditional owners who guided
and assisted during the fauna survey work at
Perpendicular Head, Gourdon Bay and Packer Island
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Fauna of the Kimberley

• Few biological studies our recent fauna records
  are valuable
• ENV Australia surveyed Gourdon Bay, Coulomb Point
  Quondong Point, Perpendicular Head and Packer
  Island
• ecologia Environment surveyed Koolan Island
• Biota Environmental Sciences surveyed Wilson
  Point
• Other work includes
• McKenzie (1983) Wildlife of the Dampier
  Peninsula, south-west Kimberley, Western
  Australia
• Mckenzie et al (1995) Biological Inventory of
  Koolan Island, W.A.

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Fauna of the Kimberley

• Transitional zone between Western Australias
  desert and tropical zones
• Much of the fauna is either Torresian (high
  rainfall tropical Australia), and therefore
  towards the southern limits of their ranges, or
  eryean species, and therefore towards the
  northern limits of their ranges

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Fauna of the Kimberley

• Mammal fauna of Conservation Significance
• Northern Quoll
• Endangered under the EPBC Act
• Rocky areas, gullies and drainage lines
• Can be common where it occurs, such as Koolan
• Bilby
• Vulnerable under the EPBC Act
• Once widespread - now sparse desert populations
• Golden Bandicoot
• Vulnerable under the EPBC Act

5
Fauna of the Kimberley

• Mammal fauna of Conservation Significance
• Golden-backed Tree Rat
• DEC Priority 4
• Restricted to the north-west Kimberley
• Likely to occur in the northern site options
• Water Rat
• DEC Priority 4
• More likely to occur in the northern site options
• Little Northern Freetail-bat
• inhabits mangroves along the northern coast of WA

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Fauna of the Kimberley

• Mammal fauna of Conservation Significance
• Spectacled Hare-wallaby
• extremely rare in WA - reduced to a few isolated
  populations in the Pilbara and the Kimberley
• Scaly-tailed Possum
• DEC Priority 4
• Known to occur at the northern site options

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Fauna of the Kimberley

• Reptile fauna of Conservation Significance
• Green, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Flatback Turtles
  
• Vulnerable under the EPBC Act
• utilise the Peninsulas beaches (especially
  Roebuck Bay)
• Dampierland burrowing snake
• known only from the Dampier Peninsula
• a DEC Priority 2 species
• Little is known of its biology
• Airlie Island Ctenotus
• Vulnerable under the EPBC Act
• known only from Airlie Island and the vicinity of
  Roebuck Bay

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Fauna of the Kimberley

• Birds Birds Birds!
• and lots of them! ENV reports over 300 bird
  species from the Dampier Peninsula
• Red Goshawk - Vulnerable under the EPBC Act
• Painted Snipe - Vulnerable under the EPBC Act
• Yellow Chat - Endangered under the EPBC Act
• Gouldian Finch - Endangered under the EPBC Act
• And many, many, many more

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Fauna of the Kimberley

• Roebuck Bay
• a Ramsar Wetland of International Significance
• a site for migratory shorebirds
• estimated to support approximately 170 000
  migratory shorebirds from19 of the most common
  species

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Fauna Habitats Coastal Dunes

• Common to all sites
• Fragile and subject to disturbance by vehicles
• Potential to support Scheduled and Priority Fauna
• Airlie Island Ctenotus Ctenotus angusticeps (a
  skink)
• Dampierland Burrowing Snake, Simoselaps minimus

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Fauna Habitats Vine Thicket

• Common to all sites except Gourdon Bay
• Substrate and location varies significantly
  comparing Dampier Peninsula thickets from
  thickets off the peninsula
• Relict fauna habitat that epitomises the
  transitional zone from Torresian to Eyrean
• DEC Priority Ecological Community
• Most likely habitat to support Short Range
  Endemic taxa
• Scorpions and trapdoor spiders
• Habitat shows clinal variation
• Promotes biodiversity
• Not present as a true Vine Thicket at Gourdon Bay

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Fauna Habitats Samphire and Mangal

• Present at most sites
• Prolific at Gourdon Bay, Perpendicular Head and
  Packer Island
• High degree of local variation because of number
  of mangrove species present
• Supports Scheduled and Priority species including
• Samphire - Airlie Island Ctenotus, Ctenotus
  angusticeps
• Mangrove Little Northern Freetail Bat,
  Mormopterus loriae cobourgiana

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Fauna Habitats Coastal Rock Outcrops

• Present, though variable, at all sites
• Important fauna refuges
• Scaly-tailed Possum
• Kimberley Cave Bat
• Poorly represented
• Present only on exposed headlands
• Disjunct, therefore likely to harbour local
  endemics

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Fauna Habitats Pindan Woodland

• Very well represented on the Dampier Peninsula
• Heterogeneous habitat supporting a variety of
  fauna
• Arboreal
• Fossorial
• Burrowing
• Highly variable structure because of fire effects
• Fauna of conservation significance are broadly
  distributed or transient
• Australian Bustard, Ardeotis australis

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Fauna Habitats Tidal Flats

• Present at most sites
• Prolific at Gourdon Bay, Perpendicular Head and
  Packer Island
• Supports high species richness
• Supports large populations
• Unspoilt and undisturbed
• Very dynamic

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Perpendicular Head
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Packer Island
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Gourdon Bay
19
James Price Point to Quondong Point
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Koolan Island

• Comparative survey undertaken by ecologia
  Environment in 2004
• Trapping sites established in
• Rocky slopes covered in Eucalyptus woodland
• Slopes cover in Vine forest
• Sandstone gorges
• Sandstone hilltops
• Monsoon / Vine Thickets
• Other habitats present included sandy beach and
  mangrove

21
Maret Island

• Very little previous work
• Only opportunistic fauna survey work
• Terrestrial snail records indicate potential
  number of new species
• New Genus 3, new species 43 only known from N
  S Maret
• New Genus 2, new species 79 on N S Maret, and
  two adjacent islands
• Damochlora new species 42 only known from N
  Maret
• Setobaudinia new species 58 on both N S Maret
  and two adjacent islands
• Setobaudinia new species 57 only known from S
  Maret
• Amplirhagada alta intermedia on both N S
  Maret and three adjacent islands

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Wilson Point

• Comparative survey undertaken by Biota in 2007
• Trapping sites established in
• Eucalyptus woodland
• Eucalyptus woodland over dolerite
• Sandstone hilltops and slope with spiny wattle
• Mangrove
• Coastal Monsoon Vine Thickets

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Potential Short Range Endemics

• Common attributes among the study site
• Limited previous survey work
• High possibility of the discovery of new taxa
• Very restricted and disjunct habitats (e.g. vine
  thickets)
• Easy to formulate a rigorous survey regime

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Fauna of Conservation Significance
Perpendicular Head Packer Island Gourdon Bay Maret Islands Wilson Point Koolan Island
Species of Conservation Significance Mammals 0 2 6   3 1
EPBC, WC, DEC and Locally significant species Reptiles 2 4 2   4 1
Amphibians 0 1 0   1 0
Birds 57 46 55   22 3
Species protected by State Legislation only Mammals 0 1 3   2 1
WC and DEC listed species Reptiles 1 2 1   1 1
Amphibians 0 0 0   0 0
Birds 3 3 4   1 0
Total Captures and Recordings Mammals 1 20 21  3 14 6
Reptiles 29 32 40 45 22 25
Amphibians 3 6 1 0 4 2
Birds 135 101 120 90  40 60
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Fauna of the Kimberley

• What conservation measures should be taken?
• There is a great deal we dont know
• Potential for many short-range endemic species in
  isolated habitats
• The precautionary principle we must tread with
  care!