Research

Northern Dwarf Skink Nannoscincus exos

Conservation status: Vulnerable

Description: A very small, elongate species of skink growing to a body length of 37mm, with short limbs and digits, a short tail approximately equal in length to the body, and smooth body scales. Colouration is two-toned being lighter on top and darker at the sides.

Natural distribution: Known from the north-east ranges.

Distribution within Province Nord: Recorded from only two locations on the range bordered by the Ouaieme River in the north and the Hienghene River in the south.

Threats:

• potentially high level of threat to closed forest populations with high infestation levels of introduced Fire Ants (Wasmannia auropunctata), causing significant decline in abundance
• low level of threat to low elevation closed forest on the east coast from clearing for subsistence agriculture, leading to loss and further fragmentation of habitat
• low level of threat to closed forest edge through repeated firing of adjacent savannah habitat, leading to a decline in area, extent and quality of habitat
• localised but potentially intensive decline in area, extent and quality of closed forest habitat from exotic pests such as pigs (high levels of disturbance of areas of the forest floor and of shelter sites)

Conservation status: Nannoscincus exos is a closed forest dependant species with highly specific microhabitat requirements. The species has a very small distribution on northern ranges with a likely real area of occupancy of <100 km2, which probably represents a single continuous population along the range. On this criteria it can be categorised as Vulnerable. The threats identified occur mainly at the forest edge or the species lower elevational limits, and the level of decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat posed by these threats is largely unknown.

Future research required:

• undertake targeted survey work to more comprehensively document the species overall distribution
• assess the extent of decline in area and/or quality of forest habitat in which it occurs, particularly with regard to the impact of fire on the forest edge
• assess the extent of spread of the Fire Ant on the range

Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002