This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 3/07/2008. Approved Conservation Advice (s266B of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) Approved Conservation Advice for torquata (Collared Delma)

This Conservation Advice has been developed based on the best available information at the time this conservation advice was approved.

Description Delma torquata, Family , commonly known as the Collared Delma, is the smallest of the legless . It is brown to reddish-brown in colour, becoming grey to bluish-grey on the tail with a slightly paler belly. It has large black bands across the head and nape interspaced with four cream-yellow stripes. The species has a maximum total length of about 19 cm (Peck & Hobson, 2007).

Conservation Status The Collared Delma is listed as vulnerable. This species is eligible for listing as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) (EPBC Act) as, prior to the commencement of the EPBC Act, it was listed as vulnerable under Schedule 1 of the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Cwlth). The Collared Delma is listed as vulnerable under Schedule 3 of the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and on the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006 (Queensland).

Distribution and Habitat

The Collared Delma is known from the western suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, and the following sites: Bunya Mountains, Blackdown Tableland National Park (NP), Bullyard Conservation Park, D'Aguilar Range NP, Expedition NP, Naumgna and Lockyer Forest Reserves, Western Creek near Millmerran and the Toowoomba Range (Davidson, 1993; Ryan, 2006). The Collared Delma occurs within the South East Queensland, Condamine, Burnett Mary and Fitzroy (Queensland) Natural Resource Management regions. The Collared Delma normally inhabits eucalypt dominated woodland and open forest where it is associated with suitable micro-habitats (exposed rocky outcrops). The ground cover is predominantly native grasses, such as Kangaroo Grass (), Barbed-wire Grass ( refractus), Wiregrass (Aristida sp.) and (Lomandra sp.) (Peck & Hobson, 2007). The distribution of this species is not known to overlap with any EPBC Act-listed threatened ecological communities. Threats The main identified threat to the Collared Delma is the loss and modification of habitat from urban and agricultural development. The removal of surface rocks during the development process or landscaping activities poses a significant threat, as these rocks are critical habitat for this species. The Collared Delma’s sensitivity to disturbance is likely to be significant given that it appears to be a sedentary species that stays within a very small area, possibly using the same rock for shelter (Ryan, 2006). Other threats to the species include fire and invasive weeds, particularly Dwarf Lantana (Lantana montividensis). Research Priorities Research priorities that would inform future regional and local priority actions include: • Design and implement a monitoring program.

Delma torquata Conservation Advice - Page 1 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 3/07/2008. • Undertake survey work in suitable habitat or potential habitat to locate any additional populations/occurrences.

Regional Priority Actions The following regional priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of the Collared Delma. Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification • Monitor known populations to identify key threats. • Identify sites of high conservation priority. • Protect areas of habitat that contain populations/occurrences of the Collared Delma. • Ensure road widening and maintenance activities in areas where the Collared Delma occurs do not adversely impact on known populations. • Investigate formal conservation arrangements, such as covenants or inclusion in reserve tenure. Fire • Develop and implement a suitable fire management strategy for the Collared Delma. • Provide for a 50 m buffer during prescribed burns in known species habitat (Ryan, 2006). • Encourage mosaic burns outside the buffer zone to prevent high intensity wildfire in species habitat (Ryan, 2006). • Provide maps of known occurrences to local and state rural fire services and seek inclusion of mitigative measures in bush fire risk management plans, risk register and/or operation maps. Conservation Information • Raise awareness of the Collared Delma within the local community, in particular among landowners, developers and landscape suppliers. Establishing Additional Populations • Investigate options for linking, enhancing or establishing additional populations.

Local Priority Actions The following local priority recovery and threat abatement actions can be done to support the recovery of the Collared Delma. Habitat Loss, Disturbance and Modification • Monitor known populations to identify key threats. • Monitor the progress of recovery, including the effectiveness of management actions and the need to adapt them if necessary. • Minimise adverse impacts from land use at known sites. • Actively discourage the removal of rocks from known and potential habitat sites. • Control access routes to suitably constrain public access to known sites on public land. • Protect populations/occurrences of the Collared Delma through the development of conservation agreements and covenants. Invasive Weeds • Identify and remove weeds in the local area, which could become a threat to the Collared Delma, using appropriate methods. • Identify and undertake weed management of known sites to reduce or remove Dwarf Lantana (ARMCANZ, 2001), using appropriate methods. • Manage sites to prevent introduction of invasive weeds, which could become a threat to the Collared Delma, using appropriate methods.

Delma torquata Conservation Advice - Page 2 of 3 This Conservation Advice was approved by the Minister / Delegate of the Minister on: 3/07/2008. Fire • Implement an appropriate fire management regime for local populations. This list does not necessarily encompass all actions that may be of benefit to the Collared Delma, but highlights those that are considered to be of highest priority at the time of preparing the conservation advice.

Existing Plans/Management Prescriptions that are Relevant to the Species • Recovery Plan for the Collared legless (Delma torquata) (Davidson, 1993), • Weeds of National Significance: Lantana (Lantana camara) (ARMCANZ, 2001), and • Conservation Management Profile: Collared Delma, Delma torquata, (Ryan, 2006). These prescriptions were current at the time of publishing; please refer to the relevant agency’s website for any updated versions.

Information Sources: Agriculture & Resource Management Council of Australia & New Zealand (ARMCANZ) 2001, Weeds of National Significance: Lantana (Lantana camara) Strategic Plan, National Weeds Strategy Executive Committee, Launceston. Davidson, C 1993, Recovery Plan for the Collared Legless Lizard (Delma torquata), Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage, Brisbane. Peck, S & Hobson, R 2007, Survey results and management options for the Collared Delma, Delma torquata, along the proposed Toowoomba Bypass, Toowoomba Range, South-east Queensland, November 2006, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Ryan, S 2006, Conservation Management Profile: Collared Delma, Delma torquata, Ecosystem Conservation Branch, Queensland Environmental Protection Agency.

Delma torquata Conservation Advice - Page 3 of 3