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Threatened Species Nomination Form

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Threatened Species Nomination Form Invitation to comment on EPBC Act nomination to list in the critically endangered category: Cryptoblepharus egeriae (blue-tailed skink) Anyone may nominate a native species, ecological community or threatening process for listing under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). You are invited to provide comment on the attached nomination to assist the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) with its assessment of whether Cryptoblepharus egeriae (blue-tailed skink) is eligible for inclusion in the EPBC Act list of threatened species in the critically endangered category. The Committee welcomes the views of experts, stakeholders and the general public on nominations to further inform its nomination assessment process. In order to determine if a species, ecological community or threatening process is eligible for listing under the EPBC Act, a rigorous scientific assessment of its status is undertaken. These assessments are undertaken by the Committee to determine if an item is eligible for listing against a set of criteria as set out in the guidelines for nominating and assessing threatened species and ecological communities, and threatening processes. These are available at: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/nominations.html To assist in this matter, the Committee has identified a series of specific questions on which it seeks particular guidance (Part A). The nomination for this item is provided in Part B. Individual nominations may vary considerably in quality. Therefore in addition to the information presented in the nomination, the Committee also takes into account published data and considers other information received when it prepares its advice for the Minister. Responses to this consultation will be provided in full to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. In providing comments, please provide references to published data where possible. Should the Committee use the information you provide in formulating its advice, the information will be attributed to you and referenced as ‘personal communication’ unless you provide references or otherwise attribute this information. The Committee’s advice may be published on the department’s website at completion of the assessment and decision by the Minister. Information provided through consultation may be subject to freedom of information legislation and court processes. It is also important to note that under the EPBC Act, the deliberations and recommendations of the Committee are confidential until the Minister has made a final decision on the nomination, unless otherwise determined by the Minister. The views expressed within the attached nomination (Part B) do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Australian Government. The Australian Government and the Committee do not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents of the nomination. Included here for your consideration of the nomination are: Part A – specific questions identified by the Committee Part B – nomination information PART A Questions relating to Cryptoblepharus egeriae (Blue-tailed skink – Christmas Island) 1. Can you comment on whether or not there is sufficient evidence that this entity is a distinct species? 2. Do you consider the way the population size has been estimated to be appropriate and do you accept the estimate of the total population size of the species? If not, can you provide an estimate of the range of population size? 3. Are you aware of any additional evidence which shows the population is, increasing or declining? If evidence is available, could you provide a range for the rate of change for the species? 4. Do you consider the current distribution of the species, as described in the nomination, to be valid? If not, why? 5. Do you consider that the way the past and current extent of occurrence/area of occupancy has been estimated is appropriate? If not, why? 6. Do you know of any past, current or potential threats that may adversely affect this species at any stage of its life cycle? 7. Can you provide additional data or information relevant to this assessment? 8. Have you been involved in developing this nomination? If so, in what capacity? 9. Do you agree with the proposal to list this species? Please summarise your reasoning PART B Section 1 - Legal Status, Distribution, Biological, Ecological Conservation Theme 1. Not applicable - there is no N/A conservation theme for the 2011 assessment period. Taxonomy 2. What are the currently blue-tailed skink Cryptoblepharus egeriae (Boulenger, accepted scientific and common 1889) name/s for the species (please include Indigenous names, where Order: Squamata. Family: Scincidae known)? Note any other scientific names that have been used recently. Note the species authority and the Order and Family to which the species belongs (Family name alone is sufficient for plants, however, both Order and Family name are required for insects). 3. Is this species conventionally The species is conventionally recognised, with this accepted? If not, explain why. Is taxonomy well established, including in a recent review of there any controversy about the the taxonomy of the genus Cryptoblepharus (Horner taxonomy? 2007). 4. If the species is NOT n/a conventionally accepted, please provide: (i) a taxonomic description of the species in a form suitable for publication in conventional scientific literature; OR (ii) evidence that a scientific institution has a specimen of the species and a written statement signed by a person who has relevant taxonomic expertise (has worked, or is a published author, on the class of species nominated), that the person thinks the species is a new species. 5. Is this species taxonomically No particular taxonomic distinctiveness – the genus distinct (Taxonomic distinctiveness Cryptoblepharus is speciose. – a measure of how unique a species is relative to other species)? Legal Status 6. What is the species’ current This species occurs only on the Australian external territory conservation status under of Christmas Island. It is not listed as threatened in any Australian and State/Territory Australian jurisdiction. Government legislation? 7. Does the species have specific The distribution of the species is restricted to Christmas protection (e.g. listed on an annex Island, mostly (63%) included within a national park, or appendix) under other legislation where it is protected. Under EPBC Act regulations, it is or intergovernmental also afforded some protection in those parts of Christmas arrangements, e.g. Convention on Island outside the Park area. International Trade in Endangered It is not listed as threatened under CITES, CMS or by the Fauna and Flora (CITES), IUCN. Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). PART A Description 8. Give a brief description of the The blue-tailed skink is a small (snout-vent length 4-5 cm) species’ appearance, including size slender skink, whose most conspicuous feature is a bright and/or weight, and sex and age light blue tail colouration. It forages on the ground, rocks, variation if appropriate; social and in low vegetation. It has been observed high on tree structure and dispersion (e.g. trunks and may forage in the canopy, while it is also found solitary/clumped/flocks). on the limestone cliff walls that form much of the Island’s shoreline. It occurs singly or in small groups. 9. Give a brief description of the The blue-tailed skink is a generalist predator of small species’ ecological role (for invertebrates; and is unlikely to play a major ecological example, is it a ‘keystone’ or role. ‘foundation’ species, does it play a role in processes such as seed dispersal or pollination). Australian Distribution 10. Describe the species’ current The blue-tailed skink is endemic to the 135 km2 Christmas and past distribution in the Island. Historic records (Andrews 1901; Gibson-Hill 1947) Australian distribution and, if report that it was once common and widespread. Reptile available, attach a maps noting the surveys in 1979 recorded it as “one of the most source and the datasets used to conspicuous and abundant reptiles on Christmas Island” create these. (xxxx xxxx; Cogger et al. 1983). However it has subsequently declined drastically in numbers and range. By 1992, it had declined appreciably in the settlement area (Rumpff 1992; xxxx), and thereafter it declined (or disappeared) sequentially across all other habitats on the Island. xxxx (xxxx) re-sampled reptiles on Christmas Island in 1998: they confirmed its absence from the settlement area (where it was abundant in 1979) and concluded that it had “suffered a significant contraction in range from the north-east, where it was previously present in large numbers, implying that there had been a decline in total numbers. However it still occurs in lower densities throughout most of the central and western parts of the island and probably around most parts of the coastal perimeter.” By 2004, James (2004) reported that “the Blue-tailed skink has declined severely. It was recorded during seven quantitative surveys. It now appears to be confined to scattered, localised pockets in remote areas of the coastal terraces.” Intensive and extensive surveys by Schulz and Barker in 2008 (including sampling at 68 sites across the Island) resulted in this species being recorded from only two areas (Egeria Point and North West Point). Subsequent surveys by Parks Australia staff have confirmed its disappearance from the North West Point site (in mid 2008) and suggest disappearance from Egeria Point (in mid 2010) [xxxx unpubl. data.]. It is now uncertain whether it persists in the wild. Notwithstanding ongoing extensive structured biodiversity sampling across the Island, and additional targeted searches for this species, with the disappearance of the Egeria Point population, no populations are now known in PART A the wild. 11. What is the extent of occurrence (in km2) for the species (described in Attachment A); explain how it was calculated and provide information on data sources. a. What is the current extent of The current extent of occurrence is uncertain, but most occurrence? likely to be < 100 ha.
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