The first issue of a new informal newsletter communicating the results of recent research on freshwater turtles of Australasia and some of the impacts that research is having on policy and management has just come out. 

The newsletter is informal, in that it is not associated with any particular society, but rather an avenue for communicating discoveries and ideas among a loose collection of individuals interested in research on this fascinating element of our fauna.

It's an excellent read and very much worthwhile checking out - head over here to subscribe to the newsletter.

Ginninderra Catchment Group will use the ACTHA grant to purchase “Frogwatch Tadpole Kits” from Canberra Exotic Pets, and make them available for loan to local primary schools. This will offer school groups the opportunity to have live tadpoles in their classroom, and enable students to watch the magic of metamorphosis, and thus enhance the students’ learning experience and appreciation of amphibians and the wider natural world. In this way, students will increase their understanding and awareness of our local fauna and will appreciate the importance of protecting our local ecosystems. The kit will include detailed instructions about caring for the tadpoles and adult frogs and it will be made very clear to schools that the tadpoles or adult frogs must not be released into the wild.

Ginninderra Catchment Group will use the ACTHA grant to purchase “Frogwatch Tadpole Kits” from Canberra Exotic Pets, and make them available for loan to local primary schools. This will offer school groups the opportunity to have live tadpoles in their classroom, and enable students to watch the magic of metamorphosis, and thus enhance the students’ learning experience and appreciation of amphibians and the wider natural world. In this way, students will increase their understanding and awareness of our local fauna and will appreciate the importance of protecting our local ecosystems. The kit will include detailed instructions about caring for the tadpoles and adult frogs and it will be made very clear to schools that the tadpoles or adult frogs must not be released into the wild. 

Renee’s project will explore the diversity of the Uperoleia genus of myobatrachid frogs by examining molecular phylogenetics and cryptic species. Renee will use molecular techniques on 1000 specimens to identify any cryptic lineages that may represent new species. Once that is completed Renee will complete a taxonomic revision of the genus based on the resulting phylogeny and morphological and calling characteristics. Understanding and documenting species diversity in this genus will assist conservation management of all species within the genus. ACTHA’s grant will go towards funding the molecular lab-work associated with the project.

Grant funds allocated to this project will be used to update and reprint a booklet developed by ACT Frogwatch in 2006 titled Creating a Frog Friendly Habitat in your backyard, school ground or rural property a resource for communities in the ACT and region.

The direct outcome of the project is to educate the community about creating frog friendly habitat and thus provide new and/or enhanced habitat areas for frogs in the region. The engagement of the community would provide broader awareness and involvement in catchment health and biodiversity issues in the ACT region and hopefully lead to further participation in the ACT Frogwatch Census. 

Renee continued her work examining the Myobatrachid genus in 2010 with continued support from ACTHA.

Renee’s project centres around understanding the tremendous diversity in Australia s largest genus of Myobatrachid frogs Uperoleia. The genus is currently divided into 26 described species, which range from Vic to QLD, and across northern Australia to Carnarvon in WA. The descriptions of species have been based on very subtle morphological and call differences, and locality, but many of the species are poorly known and have only a few specimens. Renee hopes to generate a substantial molecular data set for all species within Uperoleia in order to define species limits, identify cryptic lineages that may represent new species, and better describe the true distributions for each species.

One objective of this study is to model probable distributions under both current and future climate scenarios. This will focus specifically on species whose primary distribution is in reserve systems or other protected areas. The intent is to identify areas where the undisturbed habitat of the reserve currently appears essential to the persistence of the species, but that are at risk of being displaced under future climate models. This information can be used for the development of future reserve systems to ensure the preservation of species through an ability to migrate in response to climatic events.

Deb’s project aims to compare the relative tolerance of salinity of three species of freshwater turtle in the Lower Murray River (the Broad-shelled Turtle, the Murray River Turtle and the Eastern Long-necked Turtle). This will lead to a better understanding of the turtles’ responses to the recent dramatic increase of salinity in the Murray-Darling system and will make it possible to predict and respond to changes brought about by increasing salinity. ACTHA’s grant will go towards the cost of laboratory equipment associated with the turtle collection.

Mitzy is interested in the evolution of herpetofauna in the Pilbara region of far north WA, and she is particularly working on the molecular phylogeography of endemic arid-zone geckos. The Pilbara region is significant both in terms of its highly endemic fauna and flora, and also for the extreme economic and mining interest in the area. An understanding of the distribution of genetic diversity is extremely important both in terms of conservation and management of endemic species and also for answering broad-scale biogeographic questions and understanding the role that geology and geological processes play in the evolution of biota. ACTHA’s grant will help cover the costs of the expensive lab-work associated with the genetic side of Mitzy’s project.

Boulenger’s Skink (Morethia boulengeri) occurs in a wide range of habitats in south eastern Australia. It is among the most common reptile in farming landscapes in the region, recorded at densities exceeding 1500 individuals ha 1. Its abundance makes it an ideal species for studying landscape level drivers of physiological and ecological processes. The team proposes to test associations between morphology and population parameters in M. boulengeri, and vegetation type and habitat condition across a set of monitored sites in southern NSW. Mitochondrial DNA will be used to characterise the phylogenetic affinities of the sampled populations.

Results from the study will be used to help guide future financial incentive schemes being delivered by Catchment Management Authorities in NSW, which aim at targeting improvements in vegetation condition and biodiversity conservation.

This study aims to understand how climate change may influence nest site selection and embryonic physiology in the Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) and to determine how variation in these traits facilitates their adaptation to different environments. ACTHA’s funding will assist with the purchase of 40 miniature thermal data loggers which record nest temperatures, and will be used at the Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG).

Nadav will compare the nesting behaviour and embryonic responses to temperature in water dragons from populations along their natural distribution, ranging from northern QLD to Kosciusko National Park. The variation between the climatically distinct populations will indicate both the mechanisms and extent of the water dragons capacity to adapt in a changing environment. The intermediate population at the ANBG provides an excellent point of contact with the public and an opportunity to communicate research outcomes and the unique ecology of these reptiles. Nadav will continue and expand the ongoing research program at the ANBG (where he conducted his honours research) and establish a water dragon research website that will serve as a source of information and provide an opportunity for the public to participate in the research by reporting observations of nesting events through online data sheets.

This project will investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow of Chelodina expansa, Chelodina longicollis and Emydura macquarii populations in three upper catchments of the Murray Darling Basin, QLD. Gene flow among permanent waterholes of a largely unregulated catchment will be examined in order to determine if this correlates with our expectations of dispersal ability for each species and compared against population structure in two regulated neighbouring catchments.

By determining the colonisation and re colonisation potential of each species under semi natural conditions, this project will provide informative data for conservation planning such as predicting the impact of future flow reduction in the Murray Darling Basin on the persistence of freshwater turtle populations. The significance of dams and weirs as barrier to dispersal will also be investigated, and the size and age structure of populations within one of the catchments will be estimated (mark recapture method), providing currently lacking information on population health for each species within an upper section of the Murray Darling Basin.

Martin’s research project aims to quantify the range of habitats used by amphibians in Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay. It will provide information on poorly understood aspects of frog behaviour, including the use of the terrestrial habitats by frogs, and movements between breeding sites and the wider landscape. A greater understanding of these behaviours will assist in management of habitats for the conservation of frog species, all the more important given the potential impacts of altered fire regimes and climate change. ACTHA’s grant will help to cover the costs associated with fieldwork.

Geoff has just started his Honours, and his topic concerns the evolution of herpetofauna in southwestern Australia. This region has been noted for its exceptional endemism, high species diversity and degree of environmental threat across many floral taxa. This has contributed to the region’s declaration as one of the world’s top 25 biodiversity hotspots. However virtually nothing is known about the phylogeographic patterns in the region’s highly endemic fauna, and Geoff will study the comparative phylogeography of four lizards in the Hotspot. An understanding of the evolutionary processes driving current species diversity and endemism patterns is extremely important both in terms of conservation and management of the diverse and endemic southwestern biota and also for answering broad-scale biogeographic questions and understanding the role that geological processes and climate play in the evolution of the Hotspot. ACTHA’s grant will contribute towards the cost of the expensive molecular lab-work associated with Geoff’s project.