Suburb for a Bobtail
Saki White-SugitoUmwelt: how the world is experienced, perceived and absorbed by humans and non-humans.
Good sense of smell and hearing for navigation
Exceptional memory to absorb site information allowing them to navigate
Tail confuses predators as emulates bobtail’s head
Scales provide protection and allow camouflaging in their habitat
Strong mouth for crushing food
Blue tongue used to trick predators when threatened
Close proximity to the ground helps control body temperature
Strong feet and claws for moving, burrowing, and gathering
Bobtail lizards are fairly active during the day, mostly basking and foraging within their home range.
Bobtail lizards have a large home range of approximately 200 metres. Throughout their lifetime they will move between habitats.
A study published by CSIRO revealed urban blue-tongued lizards spent approximately 75% of their time in suburban gardens.
Two large zones of vegetation bookend the urban landscape with scattered smaller patches between. There is an opportunity to connect the small patches to create a third zone which then begins to bridge the gap and improve the suburb’s green network.
‘Estimates of strike probability for a reptile crossing the study road at a low traffic volume was > 75% for slow-moving reptiles’
Wolfe, A, Fleming P & Bateman P, Surveying Attitudes toward Reptiles on Roads: Questionnaire Responses Do Not Directly Translate to Behavioral Action , 2019“...we’ve seen unacceptably high road mortality of bobtails and I live near the park and want to see the population thrive.”
The strategy aims to develop the green network of the built environment by honing in on one small residential area of the suburb. The focus is put into re-vegetation and connection within the existing street scape to form a bobtail friendly suburb. Surrounding roads can facilitate further connection that begin to expand the habitat patch.
Zoning of masterplan driven by needs of bobtail and informed by solar analysis that looks at sun exposure throughout the day.
Solar analysis
- Specific zones for basking as determined by sun
- Separation of spaces to facilitate different activities
Morning Day Afternoon
- Improved native planting in verges to create corridor for safe bobtail movement
Bobtail basking
Bobtail refuge
Quiet roads
Street tree canopy
Verge corridor
Natural road buffer
Alternate vehicle parking
Dense multi-leveled planting
New medium to large trees
Eucalyptus gomphocephala – Tuart
Eucalyptus wandoo – Wandoo
Eucalyptus Sideroxylon Rosea Pink Flower Ironbark
Agonis flexuosa – peppermint
Eucalyptus laeliae - Butter gum
Eucalyptus megacarpa - Bullich
Xanthorrhoea Arborea - Grass Tree
Corymbia ficolia – Red flowering gum
Banksia grandis – bull banksia
Banksia menziessi – Firewood banksia
Grevillea thelemanniana – Spider net grevillea
Leucophyta brownii – cushion bush
Grevillea hybrida Showtime – Grevillea showtime
Pimelea ferruginea – pink rice flower
Banksia blechifolia – Southern blechum banksia
Rytidosperma caespitosum – Ringed wallaby grass
Tulbahhia violacea ‘silver lace’ – society garlic
Anigozanthos ‘Bush Bonanza’ – Kangaroo paw
Hemiandra pungens – Snakebush
Conostylis candicans – Grey cottonheads
Opercularia vaginata – dog weed
Laximania squarrosa
Jacksonia sericea - Waldjumi
Not all plants listed are pictured