Taxonomy
Common name :
Le Bavaya des rivages
Strand Bavayia Red List Status -
Vulnerable (VU) , assessed in 11/12/2017Protected species -
in Southern Province , in Northern Province
Description
Description:
A moderately large species of gecko growing to a body length of 86mm with a stout body and tail 100% that of the body; moderately broad toes; and a colour pattern on the body that typically has 4-5 pale blotches dark-edged below and yellow underneath.
Natural Distribution:
Described from the Loyalty Islands by Roux in 1913. Research in progress indicates it may be restricted to the Loyalties.
Distribution within Province Loyalties:
Present on Lifou and Maré Island.
Habitat:
Humid and littoral forest, and strand vegetation.
Threats:
-
potentially high level of threat to populations in humid forest from high infestation levels of the introduced Little Red Fire Ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), resulting in a significant decline in abundance.
-
moderate to high level of threat to coastal forest through loss, modification and fragmentation of forest habitat to local agriculture.
-
potentially high level of threat from exotic pests such as rats and cats (predation of adults, young & eggs) in heavily affected forests, particularly populations adjacent to settlement.
Conservation Status:
Data Deficient
Until the relationships between populations of Bavayia crassicollis on the Loyalty Islands and other closely related members of the genus are clear it is inappropriate to formally assess the species conservation status.
Bavayia crassicollis is listed as Vulnerable because it is know from less than ten locations with a continuing decline in its area of occupancy and extent and quality of its habitat due to a variety of threats.
Geographical area
Bavayia crassicollis is endemic to Province des Iles, New Caledonia. It is found in Lifou, Tiga, and Dudun, and appears to be widespread on Ouvéa, but it has not been observed in Maré for 30 years. It occurs at low elevations up to 150 m. The extent of occurrence is estimated at 4,233 km² and the area of occupancy at 60 km².
Population
The global population size and trends are not known. It is however presumed to have suffered historical declines in population size and extent of occurrence through habitat loss from clearance for occupation and agriculture, and predation by introduced species.
Habitat
Bavayia crassicollis inhabits supralittoral vegetation, and coastal and humid forests. It is nocturnal and arboreal. It shelters during the day in tree holes, beneath loose bark and in dense vegetation, and forages at night on trunks and branches.
Threats
The main threats to Bavayia crassicollis include loss and degradation of habitat arising from forest clearance for agriculture and serious impacts from the introduced ant Wasmannia auropunctata, especially in humid forests (Jourdan et al. 2000, 2001).
Conservation
This species is protected in Province Nord under Code de l'environnement de la Province Nord (Délibération No. 306-2008/APN, 24 October 2008) and in Province Sud under Code de l'environnement de la Province Sud (Délibération No. 25-2009/APS, 20 March 2009). This species is not present in any reserves and no active specific conservation management is currently being undertaken.
Bibliography
Bauer, A.M. and Sadlier, R.A. 2000. The Herpetofauna of New Caledonia.
Jourdan, H., Sadlier, R.A. and Bauer, A.M. 2000. Premières observations sur les conséquences de l’invasion de Wasmannia auropunctata 1863 (Roger) sur les prédateurs supérieurs dans les écosystèmes Néo-calédoniens. Actes des collectes insectes sociaux(13) , p.121-126.
Bauer, A.M. and Sadlier, R.A. 1997. The terrestrial herpetofauna of the Loyalty Islands. Pacific Science(51) , p.76-90.
Jourdan, H., Sadlier, R.A. and Bauer, A.M. 2001. Little Fire Ant Invasion (Wasmannia auropunctata) as a threat to New Caledonian lizards: Evidences from a sclerophyll forest (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Sociobiology(38) , p.283-301.
Endemia.nc 2016. Faune et Flore de Nouvelle-Calédonie.
Uetz, P. (ed.) 2017. The Reptile Database.
IUCN 2021. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-2.
Experts
Assessor(s): Sadlier, R., Bauer, A., Jourdan, H., Astrongatt, S., Deuss, M., Duval, T., Bourguet, E., McCoy, S., Bouteiller, A., Lagrange, A.
Reviewer(s): Cox, N.
Contributor(s): Whitaker, A.
Facilitator(s): Tanguy, V., Warimavute, G., Lietar, J.