Endangered Pink-tailed Worm-lizard found in grassland restored by Scrape and Sow

A Pink-tailed Worm-lizard spotted in Scrape and Sow restored native grassland. Photo credit Ginninderry Conservation Trust.

A significant parcel of native grassland rehabilitated using the ‘Scrape and Sow’ method has been crowned with success following the discovery of an endangered Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella) utilising the restored habitat.

The grassland restoration project, a collaboration between Ginninderry Conservation Trust and Greening Australia, saw just under 0.3 hectares of land undergo the Scrape and Sow rehabilitation process back in May 2020.

The site sits within the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor, which is 280 hectares of environmentally and culturally significant land managed by the Trust, straddling the border of ACT and NSW along the Murrumbidgee River and Ginninderra Creek.

“We specifically chose that parcel for rehabilitation because it lies between known Pink-tailed Worm-lizard habitat areas, and we hoped to create more space for that species and other reptiles to move further distances,” explained Ginninderry Conservation Trust’s Riparian Restoration and Education Officer Bridie Noble.

“We also knew a healthy rehabilitated area could provide a strong native seed presence, and hopefully kickstart some natural regeneration of native grassland species in the surrounding exotic pasture.”

The evolution of the site from exotic pasture to native grassland.

Once widespread, the Pink-tailed Worm-lizard is found in scattered locations around the ACT, NSW and Victoria. Not much is known about this legless lizard, as it spends most of its time under rocks and in ant burrows looking for its main food: ant eggs and larvae.

Restoring its habitat (mostly grasslands or grassy woodlands) involves re-establishing native grasses and replacing rocks – both of which are commonly displaced when land is cultivated for agriculture.

“One of the major challenges with restoring native grassland is just how much competition there is from exotic weeds. That’s where the Scrape and Sow method really gives native seeds a head start,” said Greening Australia’s Program Specialist Nicki Taws. Over the past decade Nicki has delivered over 20 different successful grassland restoration projects using the Scrape and Sow method around the ACT and south-eastern NSW.

Removing competition from exotic weeds allows native wildflowers to gain the upperhand, as seen here in one of Nicki’s Scrape and Sow sites.

Nicki explained that, from initial trials of the Scrape and Sow technique in Victoria over 20 years ago, Greening Australia has since been refining the method and using it to effectively restore grassland in different landscapes around the country. “As far as restoring grassland goes, it’s the best tool we have for highly degraded sites,” she said.

“The designated plot of land in the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor was dominated by exotic annuals, so we carefully scraped away about 15 cm of topsoil, taking weeds and any soil-stored seeds of exotics with it.”

“Then we brought in our seeding machines, which we’ve specially modified to be able to sow various kinds of native grassland seeds, and planted the scraped area.”

With the Scrape and Sow technique, the top layer of soil and vegetation is scraped away (top photo), and then the bare area is sown with native seed (bottom photo). These photos are of the grassland restoration underway in the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor in 2020.

To help reduce seed movement by wind or rainfall, jute mesh strips were installed at intervals across the site. The team also fenced the area to keep grazing animals out and fixed shade cloth to the perimeter fence with the idea of keeping wind-blown exotic seeds from re-entering the area.

While the Scrape and Sow soon showed results with native species germinating, the shade cloth installation on the fence didn’t fare quite as well.

“The neighbouring cattle wandered down and ate it all. It can’t have been good for them!” said Bridie.

Jute strips were laid across the site to reduce the loss of native seed from wind or water flows.

Eaten shade cloth aside, the native grasses began to establish. Suitable rocks and bricks were carefully placed across the site to create small habitat options for the elusive Pink-tailed Worm-lizards and for their prey. Then it was a matter of wait-and-see.

The dedicated Trust team and Friends of Grasslands kept a close eye on things, managing weeds like St John’s Wort and African Lovegrass that inevitably popped up, and were excited to see ants in the restored area, signalling conditions were right.

Finally, all the hard work and patience of three years was rewarded when a Pink-tailed Worm-lizard skin was found under a rock during a routine examination of the area.

A few months afterward, the little lizard was observed in the flesh.

“It was so exciting to discover the skin and then see the lizard,” said Bridie.

Yes, they really have pink tails! The Pink-tailed Worm-lizard with its skin shed just visible lying underneath. Photo credit Ginninderry Conservation Trust.

On the back of this success, the Ginninderry Conservation Trust and Greening Australia have just finished another Scrape and Sow to rehabilitate a further 0.26 hectares of native grassland alongside the original plot, almost doubling the area restored.

“Native grasslands are treasure-houses of biodiversity, containing all kinds of small plants, like sedges, lilies and daisies, as well as grasses, and are home to uniquely evolved insects, birds and reptiles like the Pink-tailed Worm-lizard,” said Nicki.

“Only tiny areas of most native grassland vegetation communities now exist, so what we do have we need to protect, manage and carefully build on. Restoration can be painstaking, but as this project shows, it’s also incredibly worthwhile.”

Bridie and the Ginninderry team will be keeping a watchful eye on the enlarged rehabilitation site, managing weeds that happen to sprout, treading carefully so as not to destroy any new native seedlings, and always searching for more lizards.

“We’ve seen evidence of co-habitation of two (or sometimes more!) individuals, so hopefully we will see some more soon.”
 
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