Taxonomy
Nannoscincus garrulus
Common name :
Le scinque géant parmi les nains
Red List Status -
Endangered (EN) , assessed in 11/12/2017Protected species -
in Southern Province , in Northern Province
This species is listed as Endangered because it is known from 3–4 localities (forming two locations) over a small range and there is continuing decline in its area of occupancy, the extent and quality of its habitat and the number of mature individuals. The existing forest remnants are disjunct and present as remnant patches and habitat quality has declined markedly in the last five years due to invasion by deer. Wildfires pose a constant threat to habitat extent and area of occupancy. The larger subpopulation is within a reserve but the other is threatened by mining.
Geographical area
This species is endemic to Province Sud, New Caledonia. It is known from 3–4 localities on the Camp des Sapins area, south of Thio in the central ranges of southern Grande Terre. It occurs at elevations above 900 m. The extent of occurrence is estimated at 28 km2 and the area of occupancy at 16 km2.
Population
There are no quantitative data on population size and trends for this species but it appears to be locally common. It is presumed to have suffered a significant reduction in area of occupancy from the loss of closed montane forest habitat that has occurred because of extensive mining and widespread wildfires on both peaks.
Habitat
This species inhabits closed montane forest. It is cryptozoic, semi-fossorial; terrestrial. It shelters beneath logs and stones and forages through leaf litter.
Threats
Nannoscincus garrulus is under particular threat from further habitat loss and fragmentation. At present this species is known only in forest remnants that are vulnerable to damage or destruction from the nickel mining that is occurring on the massif. Wildfires in the adjacent maquis shrublands are an added threat as damage forest margins, reducing the forest extent. Habitat degradation by introduced ungulates (deer and pigs), leading to lower humidity, and from pigs disturbing the litter layer and cover are other significant issues.
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). It is present in the reserve of Pic Ningua but no conservation management is currently being undertaken.
Bibliography
IUCN 2021. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-2.
Sadlier, R.A, Bauer, A.M. and Smith, S.A. 2006. A new species of Nannoscincus Günther (Squamata: Scincidae) from high elevation forest in southern New Caledonia. Records of the Australian Museum(58) , p.29–36.
Uetz, P. (ed.) 2017. The Reptile Database.
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): Lietar, J., Warimavute, G., Tanguy, V.