Aboriginal lizard traps in WA boost habitats and have lessons to teach us about conservation

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-02-24 00:01

Australia; WA

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Lizard traps constructed by Aboriginal people to catch reptiles on Western Australia's south coast provide lizards with habitat and vital shade, according to Australian researchers. Lizard traps are propped-up rock slabs on granite outcrops, and are of cultural significance to local Aboriginal Aussies. The researchers set out to see whether the traps are ecologically important, so they set up cameras at 135 sites around lizard traps, mainly in Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve. They found at least seven reptile groups used the traps for activities including cooling off and shelter. In one day, they recorded reptile activity at 60% of the monitored traps, suggesting they play an important role in providing additional habitats. Local Indigenous Elder Lynette Knapp, one of the study's authors, says lizard traps were created for human survival, and teach us that caring for Granite Country involves minimising disturbance, deep knowledge of the landscape, and multi-generational thinking.