Egernia margaretae - removal from endangered species list
The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to remove the skink Egernia margaretae Storr, 1968 from the Schedules of the Act by omitting reference to this species from Part 1 of Schedule 1 (Endangered species). The omission of species from the Schedules is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.
This Determination should be read in conjunction with the 2005 Determination relating to White's Skink population in the Broken Hill Complex Bioregion.
NSW Scientific Committee - final determination
The Scientific Committee has found that:
1. Egernia margaretae is the name given to a skink, brown above with grey or grey-brown on the sides, usually with a series of dark brown or black spots on the back. Ear lobules are white or cream.
2. Egernia margaretae Storr is currently recognised in NSW as an endangered species on Schedule 1 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act.
3. A phylogenetic investigation by Chapple and Keogh (2004) showed that the NSW population of Egernia margaretae clustered with the 'southern clade' of Egernia whitii (Lacépède, 1804). A taxonomic revision based on this research changed the previous specific status of the NSW population from Egernia margaretae to Egernia whitii (Chapple and Keogh 2004). Egernia whitii is found in rocky microhabitats in open woodland, heathland and grasslands over a wide geographic range in South Australia, Tasmania,Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland (Chapple 2003) and it is not considered to be threatened.
4. Egernia whitii does not satisfy the criteria for listing as an endangered species.
5. In view of the above the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that Egernia margaretae in NSW is no longer eligible to be listed as an endangered species in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act.
Dr Lesley Hughes
Chairperson
Scientific Committee
Gazettal Date: 18/11/05
Exhibition Period: 18/11/05 - 13/01/06
References:
Chapple DG (2003) Ecology, life history, and behaviour in the Australian scincid genus Egernia, with comments on the evolution of complex sociality in lizards. Herpetological Monographs 17, 145-180.
Chapple DG, Keogh JS (2004) Parallel adaptive radiations in arid and temperate Australia: molecular phylogeography and systematics of the Egernia whitii (Lacertilia: Scincidae) species group. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 83, 157-173.