Executive summary
EBS Group (division EBS Ecology), is an environmental consultancy specialising in terrestrial flora and fauna, environmental management and Geographic Information System (GIS) projects. They are currently investigating a population of Pygmy Bluetongue Lizards, which are listed as critically endangered.
Project requirements
The client was looking for specialised equipment to view Pygmy Bluetongue Lizards, so they could establish details, numbers and the locations for the population.
The Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard (Tiliqua adelaidensis) is the smallest member of the blue-tongue lizard family. These lizards have a total length of less than 20 centimetres and are unique to the Adelaide Foot Hills in South Australia. They are known to take refuge in the holes of spiders such as trapdoor spiders. The holes are around 10mm in diameter and can be up to a metre deep. To observe the Pygmy Bluetongue Lizards a 'Videoscope' is used, which has a small camera attached to an articulating insertion probe that can move around and bend to find and film the lizards inside their burrows.
Project Objectives
There currently is a national recovery plan in place for the Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard to down-list the species from endangered to vulnerable.
As with a lot of endangered species, the native grassland habitat that they occupy is being cleared. Due to their size and place of refuge they can be hard to find. The client was after a product small enough to enter the holes, to see if the lizards were present, without disturbing the habitat or the lizard.
Product Solution
The Yateks M Series videoscope, a world class quality industrial inspection camera normally used in engines, was selected as the most suitable product to inspect the holes of the Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard. It's specifically designed to access hard to reach areas, move around bends and with the joystick-controlled articulated camera head, capture the images and videos required.
Results
The client has been very happy with the results achieved using the Yateks M Series Videoscope. Ecologists in the field have been able to access the holes and take images and videos of the lizards inside their homes. It was fantastic that we were able to think outside the square and find a solution for the client’s inquiry using a product not traditionally considered for this type of application. And in the process be part of such an amazing worthwhile ecology and conservation project.
What the client says
Paul Drummond, an ecologist from EBS stated, “We are very happy with the scope, it is easy to use and will suit us very well”. He also went on to say “The scopes have been excellent in the field, even the battery life has been better than expected. We are very happy with it”.
The customer has been so happy with the product, that they have purchased another unit and have referred the product onto Flinders University to use in their Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard monitoring research.
Looking down the hole of a Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard using the Yateks M Series Videoscope
Pygmy Bluetongue Lizard entering the burrow
