www.nzta.govt.nz/waterviewconnection or follow progress at: twitter.com/wcnow

Ecology focus: Oakley Creek lizard management

The Well-Connected Alliance is committed to managing the Waterview Connection project’s footprint on its surrounding environment and ecosystems. In addition to monitoring and enhancing water quality, we will also look to safeguard the wellbeing of the lizards and flora native to the Oakley Creek. As part of this process, we will be relocating the native Copper Skink (Cyclodina aenea), which is known to inhabit five sites within the Waterview Connection project area, to a new area away from construction activity. The relocation process, which covers capture, release, habitat enhancement, monitoring and pest management is outlined in a Lizard Management Plan, which has been prepared for the Well-Connected Alliance by DoC-permitted herpetologist, Dr Matt Baber.

Artificial Cover Objects (ACOs) and manual searches are being used to capture the lizards as their existing habitat is purposely reduced – a strategy designed to maximize the effectiveness of the searching techniques.

The ACOs consist of corrugated Onduline roofing – Onduline is an organic, bitumen-saturated material used in reptile surveys due to its lightweight and suitable thermal properties. 120 of these have been placed in vegetated areas of Alan Wood reserve and Hendon Park where the skinks are known to be situated. Following a month-long ‘bedding in’ period, the ACOs will be checked weekly in mornings during mild / fine weather conditions when the lizards are most likely to be present. Manual searches will involve checking potential refuges, such as logs, rocks, loose vegetation etc. The gradual removal of potential lizard habitat – such as scrub, rank grass and debris, by trained herpetologists will assist in the lizard capture.

Salvaged lizards will be placed into well-ventilated, secured temporary transportation boxes, filled with soil and leaf litter. The lizards will be contained for no longer than 8 hours before being released into their new habitat. The sex (where possible), reproductive status and snout vent length will all be recorded.

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Typical Artificial Cover Object (ACO)

Copper Skink

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www.nzta.govt.nz/waterviewconnection or follow progress at: twitter.com/wcnow

Ecology focus: Oakley Creek lizard management

The lizards are being relocated to Council reserve land adjacent to Oakley Creek to the east of Great North Road.

The identified area already features recent plantings by the Friends of Oakley Creek. These will be supplemented in the short term by coarse woody debris and longer-term restoration planting. The Well-Connected ecology team will also work closely with the Friends of Oakley Creek to provide ongoing pest control and monitoring to measure the success of the relocation project.

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The Copper Skink is part of the family Scincidae, endemic to the North Island. It is not to

be confused with the Rainbow Skink, which as an introduced,

Australian species is considered to be a potential pest by

Auckland Council and DoC.

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Lizard release site

Habitat enhancement (addition of coarse woody debris)

Restoration planting 2012

Copper SkinkRainbow Skink

LEGEND

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