We found the threatened South Gippsland Burrowing Crayfish in the Hoddle Reserve !

It's official, we have South Gippsland Burrowing Crayfish (Engaeus karnanga) in the Hoddle Range Nature Conservation Reserve! This is a significant finding as Engaeus karnanga is listed under the FFG Act as endangered, further adding to the documented environmental significance of the Hoddle Reserve. 

Ecocentric Environmental Consulting was engaged by Prom Coast Ecolink in November 2023 to undertake targeted surveys for burrowing crayfish (genus Engaeus) within the Hoddle Range Nature Conservation Reserve, 5km southeast of the township of Fish Creek, Victoria. 

The study area included the Golden Creek riparian corridor which bisects the Reserve draining south to Corner Inlet Marine and Coastal Park. Engaeus are a notoriously difficult genus to classify and we initially recorded this finding as a Richards Burrowing Crayfish (Engaeus laevis). This has since been reviewed and updated to confirm : the threatened South Gippsland Burrowing Crayfish is a local resident in the Hoddle Range Nature Conservation Reserve!

This study was made possible through Volunteering Innovations Fund grant program and we would like to extend our thanks to ParksVic for making this possible.