Lizard Species in Small Mainland Habitat Isolates and Islands off South-western Western Australia

Abstract

Slopes and elevation of the regression of lizard species richness versus area for small ( < 25 ha) isolated areas of 'natural' vegetation in the Western Australian wheatbelt are not significantly different from those for Western Australian continental island groups. Similar-sized coral islands in Houtman Abrolhos, however, have relatively few lizards, and their species richness is independent of area. This is not attributed to ecological instability of coral islands but to the homogeneous habitat of coral islands and the nature of 'strand' lizards. No family of lizards appears to be favoured in small isolates or islands. It is suggested that the ecologically more generalized species predominate in small areas.