Guthega Skink gives up a few of its secrets
July 2013. A threatened species of alpine skink has given up some big secrets on how they survive bushfires that will provide vital information to help its survival. The Australian Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) has partnered with La Trobe University to uncover some of the secrets behind the survival of one of the Australian State of Victoria's rarest reptiles.
La Trobe University zoology student Zak Atkins has been studying the nationally endangered Guthega Skink (Liopholis guthega) in the isolated rocky outcrops of the Bogong High Plans. The Guthega Skink is listed as Threatened under Victoria's Flora and Fauna (FFG) Act.
2003 wild fires
"A big part of my research focused on the impact of the 2003 wildfires in the Alpine National Park on Guthega Skink populations. I found that this species may be more tolerant to wildfires than previously thought," Mr Atkins said
"Wildfire had been thought to be the biggest immediate threat to the survival of this species, given their restriction to high altitude habitats and small geographic range. However, the Guthega Skink probably survives fire by sheltering in burrows in rocky areas. I discovered that burrows in areas that were burned in 2003 were more likely to be under rocks than shrubs, with burrows under shrubs more common in unburnt areas. Skinks inhabiting burrows under rocks were more likely to be protected during the fire."
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