A large, superbly camouflaged gecko was one of twenty native animals and plants added to Australia's ever-growing list of threatened species this week. The listing of the New England Leaf-tailed Gecko (Saltuarius moritzi) as endangered underscores the significance of the new Waulinbakh Wildlife Sanctuary, on the Mid-north Coast of New South Wales, as a site for conservation of Australia's unique biodiversity.
At about 15 centimetres long, the New England Leaf-tailed Gecko is one of the larger geckos in Australia and belongs to a family with ancestry dating back to Gondwana. The Leaf-tailed Geckos are named for their wide, leaf-shaped tail, which can be detached as a decoy when the gecko is under threat. They are masters of camouflage, with long spindly limbs, rough textured skin, and cryptic flecked patterns of brown and grey which help them to disappear when they lie flat against a tree trunk or boulder.
Earlier this year, Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) ecologists were thrilled to find one of these nocturnal reptiles during their first spotlighting surveys at the sanctuary, which was renamed in May.
"It was really exciting to come across this incredible animal," said Joey Clarke, Senior Science Communicator with AWC. "We were spotlighting along the ridgeline at around 10pm when [AWC Senior Field Ecologist] Andy called out 'I've found a leafy!'"
Waulinbakh Wildlife Sanctuary is near the southern limit for the gecko, located in an important corridor of protected forest linking Barrington Tops National Park and Myall Lakes National Park. The species occurs in three separate populations in eastern New South Wales, between around Nambucca Heads and Gloucester.
The extensive Black Summer bushfires in 2019-2020 spread across 40% of the New England Leaf-tailed Gecko's range and had a negative impact on the species. With limited data, it's impossible to assess the direct effects of the fires, however this species relies on large trees and logs for shelter which likely made it vulnerable. What's more, extreme bushfire events are expected to become more frequent over coming decades as the climate heats up. On top of bushfires, habitat loss and invasive predators including feral cats pose compounding threats to native reptiles, including Leaf-tailed Geckos.
Protecting important habitat at places like Waulinbakh Wildlife Sanctuary and dealing with major threats to wildlife, including feral animals, is critical to preventing further extinctions and safeguarding Australia's unique biodiversity.
