Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01712:body:0:p8
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01712
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 19495–22437

Wiluna workshop was attended by Rangers representing Punmu, Birriliburu IPA, Matuwa Kurara IPA, Wakamurru and Gingirana.

 The Yulara workshop was attended by UKTNP Rangers, Central Land Council (CLC) Rangers from Docker River, Angas Downs and Mutijulu, and staff and Indigenous Trainees from Voyages Ayers Rock Resort. The Alice Springs workshop was attended by Rangers from Kiwirrkurra, South Tanami IPA, Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary and Nyirripi, other CLC staff, NT government, Territory NRM and Australian Wildlife Conservancy staff from Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary and Ngalurrtju Sanctuaries.
 The IDA has collated information from all these meetings and combined it with information from research papers, reports and regional management plans into this Recovery Plan.

 Photograph 1. Tjakura Recovery Plan workshop at Wiluna, October 2021.

 Source: Desert Support Services

 Photograph 2. On country fire planning to protect Tjakura workshop, Punmu, October 2015.

 Source: Desert Support Services
  Species Description – what is Tjakura

  Tjakura – widely known in English as the Great Desert Skink (Liopholis kintorei) – is a large orange (or sometimes grey) skink of similar size to a blue-tongue lizard. It lives in a big communal family burrow system with a nearby latrine where the family all deposit their scats.

  Tjakura is a species of cultural significance for Aboriginal people, both as an important Tjukurrpa species and a food resource. It is known by a variety of local names in Aboriginal languages – Tjakura in the Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra languages, Warrarna in Warlpiri language, Tjalapa by Pintupi speakers, Mulyamiji in the Manyjilijarra language spoken by Martu, Nampu in the language of the Mantjintjarra Ngalia people and Aran spoken by the Anmatjere (McAlpin, 2001). For the purpose of this document we will use Tjakura because this name covers the highest number of subpopulations, from the South Australian Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, to southern NT, and across to the Ngaanyatjarra Lands of Western Australia.

  Originally in the Egernia genus, the scientific name of Tjakura changed from Egernia kintorei to Liopholis kintorei in 2008. Two similar but smaller species within the Liopholis genus (L. striata and L. inornata) remain common through the Australian deserts while a third member of the genus (L. slateri) has a narrow, restricted distribution centred on Alice Springs and is also classified as threatened. The night skink (L. striata) appears very similar to Tjakura but is only half the size and has a smaller simpler burrow system with only small scats.

  Tjakura can reach a total length of 450 mm and weigh up to 300 g. Males are bigger than females and have a larger, wider head. Tails are often shortened due to damage during fights or predation attempts but intact tails are slightly longer than the head-body length, and become swollen