[Reading time 3 minutes 29 seconds] Dr Joel Huey is a Geneticist who has been working at Biologic for six…
[Reading time: 2 minutes 33 seconds]
Robert Audcent is a Zoologist who has been working in the Vertebrate Fauna team at Biologic since 2022. He began his honours thesis at Monash University in 2025, researching the Pilbara barking gecko and its true conservation status. Rob published his paper in June 2026.
It’s been some of the most fun field work I’ve ever done, getting to explore a lot of the Pilbara, chasing a rare species that no one really knows anything about.
That research became the basis of my honours studies at Monash University, and it’s now outlined in my recently published paper, Targeted conservation assessment of the climate-sensitive, poorly known Pilbara barking gecko (Underwoodisaurus seorsus).
I like researching data deficient species. I find it exciting to work with animals that have fewer records because there’s an element of discovering the unknown. That’s exactly why I chose the Pilbara barking gecko, and I had my work cut out for me. Before I started, only 55 records of the species were known.
As a result, one of my main aims was to learn more about the geckos’ distribution range, abundance, and population size. I also wanted to investigate the potential threat that climate change poses to the species and where it lives. Earlier research has suggested the gecko could be at risk, but no one had taken it any further.
Rob Audcent on one of his late night exploratory trips
I began my studies at Monash in 2025 and headed out on my first scouting trip that March. Out in the field, my days were spent assessing habitat, my nights were spent traversing hills looking for geckos, and the rest of my time went into modelling how the species would fare under different climate scenarios.
The most interesting thing I found was that these geckos only really occur at the top of hills, which is quite strange for reptiles. High elevation usually means high wind exposure, and reptiles typically prefer heat.
Across 46 field days I identified ten new populations and 87 individuals, which more than doubled the previous records.
The data also showed that the species is at a greater risk of extinction than previously thought. Under every modelling scenario I ran, it is predicted to lose its climatic niche by 2060.
Based on this, I have nominated the species for relisting as Endangered at a state level, with the outcome due in August. Right now, it’s listed as Priority 2, which means it gets no special protection and isn’t a mandated inclusion in any compliance or regulatory requirements for mining in the area. If it is relisted, surveys and monitoring would be required across its modelled habitat.
A Pilbara Barking Gecko being weighed for recording
I am already seeing scopes of work coming in for my team to survey and monitor these geckos. Regulators are aware the species may be relisted, and some companies are a step ahead, already surveying it now.
Work is far from over when it comes to uncovering the secret life of this species. I am keen to do a PhD and keep learning more about the Pilbara barking gecko. I would also love to do a study on its genetic structure as well as its movement ecology.
Rob is one of many team members who work at Biologic while continuing a research pathway in their chosen field. Our people are encouraged to never stop learning, driven by an innate passion to contribute to the scientific community and our wider understanding of the world around us.
