Recent grazing reduces reptile richness but historic grazing filters reptiles based on their functional traits

1. Grazing by mammalian herbivores can alter vegetation structure and composition. It can therefore affect critical habitat features used by native wildlife for shelter, feeding and breeding. This can have variable effects, which advantage or disadvantage particular species, depending on habitat requirements. 2. We tested the relative effects of recent and historic livestock grazing and recent rabbit and kangaroo grazing on all reptiles, and on specific groups of reptiles based on three functional traits: habitat preference (semi-arboreal, terrestrial, fossorial), activity pattern (diurnal, nocturnal) and primary foraging habitat (tree, litter, open). 3. We used structural equation modelling to assess the direct and indirect impacts of mammalian herbivores (livestock, and free-ranging kangaroos and rabbits) on reptile richness at 108 semi-arid woodland sites in eastern Australia. We used a trait-based approach to classify reptiles according to their: (1) habitat preference, (2) activit...