The Dunsborough Burrowing Crayfish is a small burrowing crayfish up to 50 mm in length. It generally has a pale to mid-brown colour with purplish-blue claws. The narrow abdomen is often shorter than the head and thorax. Other distinguishing features are the reduced eye size, large claws adapted to digging, and the way that the fingers of the claws move in a vertical plane.
Dunsborough Burrowing Crayfish |
Engaewa reducta
Status: Critically Endangered on the EPBC Act list
Government evidence of impact of climate change:
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Australian Government, Conservation Advice, Engaewa reducta
Other potential threats include fire; disease from introduced crayfish species; exposure and subsequent hydration of acid sulphate soils; use of pesticides; fertilisers or herbicides that contaminate or reduce water quality; and climate change reducing rainfall and wetland habitats.
The main potential threats to the Dunsborough Burrowing Crayfish are drainage activities; groundwater extraction; feral pigs; road and bridge construction and fire (Burnham; 2005 Burnham et al.; 2007).
Burning of soils rich in organic matter can either destroy them or alter their water holding capacity so that moisture rich habitats are lost.
The underlying mineral soil may also be lost; changing groundwater system and risking acidification and metal toxification of swamps through drying and re wetting of soils. -
Australian Government, Listing Advice, Engaewa reducta
Further threats that have not been quantified but may be detrimental to the Dunsborough Burrowing Crayfish include road and bridge construction; fire (both controlled and uncontrolled); disease from introduced crayfish species; exposure and subsequent hydration of acid sulphate soils; use of pesticides; fertilisers or herbicides that contaminate or reduce water quality; and climate change reducing rainfall and wetland habitats (Burnham; 2005 Burnham et al.; 2007). 9.
The nine extant populations of Dunsborough Burrowing Crayfish are isolated from each other; increasing the risk of localised extinctions; and they face a number of current threats (including land clearing for agriculture and forestry; farm dam construction and cattle grazing) and a number of potential threats (including drainage activities; feral pigs; groundwater extraction; road and bridge construction; fire and reduced rainfall from climate change) (Burnham; 2005 Burnham et al.; 2007).
The extant populations are subject to a number of current threats (including land clearing for agriculture and forestry; farm dam construction and cattle grazing) and a number of potential threats (including drainage activities; feral pigs; groundwater extraction; road and bridge construction; fire and reduced rainfall from climate change) (Burnham; 2005 Burnham et al.; 2007).
Potential threats to the Dunsborough Burrowing Crayfish include drainage for peat; sand mining or agriculture activities; which can desiccate the species moisture rich habitats; and water extraction from bores; which can lower watertables; desiccate moisture rich habitats and potentially cause acidification and mobilisation of toxic metal ions in wetlands.
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