In short

  • The critically endangered Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish lives in the endangered Cool Temperate Rainforests of the Dandenong Ranges, east of Melbourne.
  • ARI scientists have worked with the Yarra Ranges Council and local groups to survey for burrowing crayfish using innovative traps.
  • Managing potential threats of invasive weeds and feral deer can help protect the crayfish’s habitat and the wider rainforest ecosystem.

Dandenong Burrowing crayfish with blue claws

Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish at the burrow entrance – photo by Andrew Geschke

A tiny crayfish that calls the rainforest home

The Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish is a tiny crayfish, that lives in burrows throughout the Cool Temperate Rainforests and Wet Forests of Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges. The species is listed as Critically Endangered in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 due to its limited range and small population.

These crayfish are cryptic, spending most of their time underground leaving little signs of activity beyond freshly excavated soil at burrow entrances. They live in moist to wet streamside areas that are free from dense ground layer vegetation.

While burrowing crayfish burrows can be distinctive, Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish can be confused with Tubercle Burrowing Crayfish, as their territories do overlap.

The Dandenong Ranges forest is characterised by a mixed tree canopy of southern sassafras and mountain ash, creating a highly shaded environment in which tree ferns and a diversity of ground ferns thrive, offering ideal conditions for the Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish.

What we are doing

ARI teamed up with the Yarra Ranges Council and local groups of citizen scientists to survey the species to better understand the distribution of the species and where management actions can be focused.

A key threat to the species on both public and private land is weed invasion, particularly blackberry and Wandering Tradescantia (also known as wandering trad or spiderwort). Management of these weeds is important as they can smother native plants and stop natural regeneration of rainforest species.

Additionally, Dandenong burrowing crayfish habitat is also vulnerable to impacts from feral deer. Deer directly affect the soil, water and vegetation of where this species lives and are know to spread weeds.

Innovative surveys

ARI has developed innovative one-way traps specifically designed for burrowing crayfish. These traps mimic the structure and environmental conditions of the crayfish’s natural burrows, allowing researchers to safely capture animals as they emerge from their underground habitats.

Once captured, crayfish are gently removed from the portable, reusable traps and assessed in the field. Researchers record key measurements, including size and weight, before releasing them back to the exact location where it was found.

To protect them from daytime predators, researchers ensure crayfish safely re-enter their burrows or are covered with leaf litter. This low-impact approach supports effective monitoring while minimising disturbance to the animals and their habitat.

Cool Temperate Rainforest in the Dandenong Ranges

Cool temperate rainforest habitat - photo by ARI

Volunteers check traps for the Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish

Citizen scientists helping check crayfish traps - photo by ARI

Research impact

This project has helped inform weed and invasive pest management in the Dandenong Ranges area and increased local awareness about this unique species.

To improve the health of this crayfish habitat, the local community has delivered targeted weed control where the crayfish are known to occur. Any current activity is headed by the Yarra Ranges Landcare Network.

Locals now are more familiar with burrowing crayfish and their burrows. Many now recognise how important it is to conserve the cool rainforest habitat for these terrestrial, freshwater crustaceans.

ARI continues to receive numerous enquiries from locals about sightings, whilst Councils have supported people in best practice if encountering burrowing crayfish in active work areas.

How you can help

To help with the conservation of Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish you can:

  • Record potential sightings with photos of the animal and location on iNaturalist (note: the species cannot be identified from the burrows alone)
  • Avoid disturbing burrowing crayfish burrows
  • Support local weed management groups in the Dandenong Ranges.

The project builds on extensive work by the Friends of Sassafras Creek, involving over 90 private property owners. The initiative is always open to new local contributors, with citizen science apps like iNaturalist acting as a repository for valuable information such as identification of burrowing crayfish.

Dandenong burrowing crayfish at burrow entrance

Dandenong burrowing crayfish at burrow entrance - photo by Andy Geschke

Acknowledgements

This collaborative project   was funded by DEECA and run by Yarra Ranges Council with support from the Community Weed Alliance of the Dandenongs (now disbanded), Melbourne Water, Parks Victoria and other local groups.

More information

For more information, you can contact ari.research@vic.gov.au or the Yarra Ranges Council (mail@yarraranges.vic.gov.au).

Publications

A short video titled 'Dandenong Burrowing Crayfish - Citizen Science 2018' showing volunteers conducting a survey for the crayfish, is available on the DELWP YouTube channel, and can also be viewed below:

Page last updated: 14/07/26