Getting to know the Hairy Burrowing Crayfish
Last Sunday I finally had the pleasure of seeing one of western Victoria’s most cryptic and charismatic species, the Hairy Burrowing Crayfish (Engaues sericatus). Over the past few months, we have been meeting with Environmental Science students at Hawkesdale P-12 College and keeping a watchful eye on a group of crayfish burrows spotted along a creek at Apex Park in the town centre. During the winter months, these crayfish are busy maintaining their underground homes and build ‘chimney-like’ structures at the surface of their burrows which are often visible from the roadside in drains and low-lying pastoral areas. The students have become “citizen scientists” by recording the number of crayfish burrows along a series of transects in the park and have also been recording the location of chimneys on their properties.
Engaues sericatus and burrow
On Sunday the 27th of July, a burrowing crayfish expert, David Mossop (EPA Victoria), was kind enough to show us the tricks of the trade in catching these species. We set some specially designed ‘Norocky’ traps overnight and on Monday morning, the students came down to the park to check the traps. Unfortunately we didn’t catch any crays but it wasn’t long before a Grade 1 student spotted a crawling creature in a container in the back of our car, courtesy of some success we had the day before. A couple of the students were brave enough to let one of these crayfish crawl around on the palms of their hands.
Asher Farrington wondering if there is anything in the Norocky trap yet.
While the hairy burrowing crayfish (Engaeus sericatus) and the Portland Burrowing crayfish (Engaeus strictifrons) are both listed as vulnerable in Victoria, very little is currently known of their ecology. This project (funded by the DEPI) aims to determine the known distribution, threats and habitat requirements of these species and increase community awareness on the importance of their conservation. By working with local schools, we hope to increase both our knowledge and wider community appreciation of the unique role these critters play in our backyard.
