Lizard Surveys
& Management

You need a lizard survey when your works will disturb vegetation, rock, timber or rubble that could shelter native lizards, and a consent condition, designation requirement or Outline Plan of Works calls for lizard management. If you're not sure whether your site needs a survey, get in touch with our team and we can help you understand your requirements.

A lizard management plan is a site-specific document that sets out how lizards will be protected during your works. It covers how lizards will be captured, where they will be relocated, how the relocation site will be prepared, and what monitoring will follow. We follow Department of Conservation guidance for survey and salvage and our management plans are reviewed and authorised by experienced herpetologists.

Capturing and relocating native lizards requires authorisation from the Department of Conservation under the Wildlife Act 1953. Depending on the project, that is either an authority held by the herpetologist leading the work or one applied for specifically for your site. We will confirm which pathway applies to you when we scope the work as it is regionally specific.

Salvage is the safe and humane capture of lizards from the area that the works will disturb and their release into suitable habitat nearby. We typically trap or reduce habitat in phases, supervise the vegetation clearance and search by hand and with machinery assistance after felling. The relocation site is prepared beforehand, including pest control to protect the lizards from predators, and is selected because of its suitability for the species and the distance from this site.

Skinks and geckos are most active in warm, settled weather, so surveys and salvage are best scheduled in the warmer months, from October to April, which we call ‘Lizard Season’. Cold or wet conditions reduce the chance of detecting them. If your clearance dates fall outside the lizard season window, contact us early so we can help plan around it.

A survey that finds no lizards lowers the likelihood that they are present, but it can’t rule them out. Where suitable habitat remains, a herpetologist can recommend precautionary measures such as ecologist supervision during clearance. Our team will support you with what the survey results mean for your site.

Yes, we are often able to schedule salvage to work with your construction sequencing, and our ecologists can attend when new areas are opened. Giving us your draft clearance programme early lets us plan the fieldwork around it.

Yes, we work with lizards, but also fish, birds, bats, plants and invertebrates depending on what your site requires. Getting in touch early about all of your requirements means that our team can coordinate all of the required assessments or plans for you, leaving you free to manage your project.