Mud Gully Crayfish
Euastacus dalagarbe
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Critically Endangered
Listed since:
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Critically Endangered
Listed since:
Listed since:
Description
Description
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
�The Mud Gully Crayfish is one of nine �small and poorly spinose� species of freshwater crayfish that occupies the montane rainforests of south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales. It is endemic to north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, with the species� entire distribution contained within subtropical rainforest of the north-eastern quadrant of the Border Ranges National Park and the southern section of Lamington National Park. The Mud Gully Crayfish's habitat includes damp gullies, wet-soaks, upper reaches of headwater streams and their small tributaries, within closed subtropical rainforest canopies.
Threats
The species has very specific habitat requirements and is threatened by habitat loss. Forest fires or other natural disasters could significantly impact populations, and because of its fragmented range, it is particularly vulnerable to habitat loss, with little possibility of dispersing to new locations. Climate change may force it to higher elevations to find the cool waters it needs. Another cause for concern are the feral cats, foxes and domestic livestock that prey on it or pollute the waters where it lives.�Cane toads, which have invaded its range, may also impact on populations, and for all these reasons, the�International Union for Conservation of Nature�has assessed its conservation status as "critically endangered".
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
Heading 6
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.
Average life span:
Number of young produced each year:
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Who is helping
DCCEEW - Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
SPRAT - DCCEEW Species Profile and Threats Database