Effects of long-term fox baiting on species composition and abundance in an Australian lizard community

Published source details Olsson M., Wapstra E., Swan G., Snaith E., Clarke R. & Madsen T. (2005) Effects of long-term fox baiting on species composition and abundance in an Australian lizard community. Austral Ecology, 30, 899-905.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Remove or control predators using fencing and/or aerial nets Action Link
	Remove or control predators using lethal controls: Snakes & lizards Action Link

Remove or control predators using fencing and/or aerial nets

A replicated, site comparison study in 1999 in a site of semi-arid shrubland, grasses and sparse woody plants in New South Wales, Australia (Olsson et al. 2005) found that areas within exclosure fences with ongoing fox Canis vulpes control had a higher abundance of small lizard species compared to areas outside the fences. Average captures of all lizard species were higher within the exclosure fences (28 lizards of 11 species; 0.9/trap) compared to outside the fences (13 lizards of 8 species; 0.5/trap) (differences in richness were not tested for statistical significance). The same was true for skinks (inside: 1.2/trap; outside: 0.3/trap). Numbers of geckos was similar inside fences (0.7/trap) and outside (0.7/trap) An area of natural habitat (400 x 200 m) was fenced off in the 1980s as part of a species reintroduction. Poison baiting for foxes was ongoing in the area. Eight pens were established (100 x 100 m in a 4 x 2 design) using chicken wire and an electrified wire. In October 1999, reptile trapping occurred inside and outside exclosures with four lines of pitfall traps (8–14 m long, buckets every 2 m).

(Summarised by: Maggie Watson, William Morgan)
Remove or control predators using lethal controls: Snakes & lizards

A replicated, site comparison study in 1999–2000 in two sites of semi-arid shrubland, grasses and sparse woody plants in New South Wales, Australia (Olsson et al.) found that an area with long term poison baiting for foxes Canis vulpes had more sand goannas Varanus gouldii compared to an un-baited area, but effects on small lizards were mixed. More goannas were found in the area with fox baiting (52 individuals) compared to the un-baited area (9 individuals). Overall, small lizard abundance was similar between the baited area (0.4 lizards/trap) and un-baited area (0.5 lizards/trap), but in one of three habitat types lizards were less abundant in the baited (0.2/trap) compared to un-baited area (0.4/trap). Skinks were more abundant in the baited areas in one of three habitat types (baited: 0.6/trap; un-baited: 0.2/trap) and geckos were less abundant in baited areas in one of three habitat types (baited: 0.1/trap; un-baited: 0.5/trap), but in all other comparisons abundances were similar. At one site, poison baiting (1080-bait) started in 1995 along roads, and from 1997 three aerial baitings/year were also carried out. An additional site (75 km away) received no baits. In 2000, two areas in each site (baited area: >20 km apart; un-baited area: 15 km apart) were surveyed for sand goannas from a vehicle (580–590 km/site). In November–December 1999 (11 days), at each area in both sites, small reptiles were trapped across three habitat types (grassland, mallee/woodland and spinifex), with three traps lines/trapping location (15 m drift fence, with 5 pit-fall traps).

(Summarised by: Maggie Watson, William Morgan)