Staff

Ross Sadlier - Collection Manager

BSc Macquarie University

My interest in reptiles has been life long and was very much a product of my late father’s enthusiasm for wildlife and being outdoors. I began volunteering at the Australian Museum in 1978 in the Herpetology Section, and was appointed to the position of Technical Officer in that Section in 1980. I did not formally occupy the position of Collection Manager until 1996. I did my BSc on a part-time basis at Macquarie University during my first six years of employment at the Museum, graduating in 1986. During the years I have been with the Museum I've undertaken a number of field based projects, particularly in northern Australia, throughout New South Wales, and to islands in the southwest Pacific. In recent years my main research interests have centred on the diversity and conservation of rainforest faunas, with fieldwork undertaken in forests in eastern Australia and New Caledonia.

Research interests

New Caledonian lizards

My first trip to New Caledonia was in 1979, and resulted in the publication of a review of the scincid lizards of the island. More recent field and laboratory research since 1990 in collaboration with Prof. Aaron Bauer (Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA) has resulted in the publication over 20 scientific articles on New Caledonian lizards in which 26 new species of lizards from the region have been described (~30% of the total reptile fauna) and the recent publication of the book 'The Herpetofauna of New Caledonia' with Aaron M. Bauer - the only complete treatise of the islands herpetofauna. Field research in the region includes more than 15 expeditions to the New Caledonia region since 1979 (most of these since 1990) including participation in surveys of areas in Province Nord for reservation in 1996 (the first such surveys to be conducted in the Province), and collaborative field research with I.R.D. Noumea (2000 and 2002) on biodiversity of the reptile fauna of endangered sclerophyll forests and the unique 'maquis' shrubland, and the impact of introduced fire ants on that fauna.

Australian rainforest lizards

Ongoing laboratory and field research on the east Australian rainforest reptile fauna has been directed mainly at resolving complex species groups problems. Past projects have included combined morphological and molecular (allozyme) investigation of the skink genus Saproscincus resulting in the recognition of several additional taxa, and recognition of the scincid lizard Eulamprus tryoni, a species restricted to high elevation rainforest of the Border Ranges region in north-eastern New South Wales. Current collaborative research with colleagues in the Queensland Museum (Patrick Couper - Curator) focuses on the distribution and identity of the giant leaf-tailed geckos in the genus Saltuarius in south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The reptile fauna of western New South Wales

We are undertaking field research throughout much of western New South Wales aimed at identifying the reptile fauna of poorly known regions, the distribution and habitat specificity of species within the region. This project is undertaken in collaboration with our Herpetology section Research Associates Dr Glenn Shea and Mr Gerry Swan. Recent survey effort has concentrated on areas in the far north-west of the State. Survey work at Sturt National Park was undertaken over a four year period (1997-2000), and we have commenced a similar survey program at Perry National Park , also in far north-western New South Wales. These surveys have resulted in significant baseline collections upon which future systematic research can be undertaken.

Conservation of Australian lizards

Over the past 5-10 years I have participated in a various projects identifying the threatened reptile fauna of Australia (with Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service) and New South Wales (with New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service) including:

• The Action Plan for Australian Reptiles (1993) - identifying threatened Australian reptile species.
• Identification and assessment of reptile species of conservation significance in the 1994-95 Natural Resources Audit Council (NRAC) TAG group for the New South Wales north coast region.
• Participation as an invited independent expert for reptiles in the:
  • 1998 Northern CRA Response to Disturbance workshop
  • 1999 Southern CRA Response to Disturbance workshop
  • 1999 Ecologically Sustainable Forest Management Workshop
  • 2002 CRA Response to Disturbance workshop for the Brigalow Belt region in central western New South Wales.
• Publication of a review of reptile and amphibian species of particular conservation concern in the Western Division of New South Wales with colleagues from National Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales.

Further information

• Publications

Contact

Ross Sadlier
Collection Manager	Phone:	(+612) 9320 6259
Herpetology Section	Fax:	(+612) 9320 6050
Australian Museum
6 College St	Email:	Email Ross Sadlier
Sydney, NSW 2010

Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002