Southern Highlands Platypus Conservation Project

The platypus has been recorded in rivers, creeks and dams throughout the Southern Highlands although the few official records we have are somewhat outdated and often limited to rivers and streams close to population centres.

The most common place to spot platypus in the Southern Highlands is in the Wingecarribee River around Berrima. 

Other local waterways to have recorded platypus sightings include: 

• Black Bob’s Creek (Exeter)

• Burrawang Creek (Burrawang)

• Caalong Creek (Robertson)

• Cecil Hoskins Nature Reserve (Moss Vale)

• Paddy’s River (Bundanoon)

• Gibbergunyah Creek (Mittagong)

• Long Swamp Creek (Sutton Forest)

• Medway Rivulet (Medway)

• Nattai River (Mittagong)

• Nepean River (East Kangaloon)

• Wildes Meadow Creek (Wildes Meadow)

• Stonequarry Creek (Werai)

• Wollondilly River

• The platypus and various species of echidna are the only egg-laying mammals (monotremes) in the world.

•  Although mainly nocturnal, it’s not uncommon to see a platypus during the day, especially at dusk or dawn. 

• The platypus is one of just a few venomous mammals, with males having venomous spurs on their rear legs.

• They are generally solitary animals, typically seeking company for mating purposes only. 

• The platypus diet consists mainly of riverbed animals such as insect larvae but they will also eat freshwater shrimp, and adult insects on the surface of the water. 

• They will close their eyes and ears while foraging underwater, locating their food using electroreceptors in their bill which sense the small electrical signals produced by the muscular contractions of their prey. 

• They prefer to forage in water less than four metres deep, and will spend up to 12 hours a day doing brief, repeated dives searching for food on the river bed.

• Population densities vary, with an upper limit of around 12 platypus per kilometre, a density recorded in the nearby Shoalhaven River where the river is approximately 10m wide, has a series of long pools, and is around 3-4m in depth.

• When they are inactive, they will return to their burrows, which are dug into the river banks, with the entrances typically just above water level.

For platypus conservation to succeed, it is important that people realise that platypus populations require healthy creek and river ecosystems to survive, and that individual actions have a real impact, for better or worse, on the survival of platypus populations.

The Main Threats to Platypus Include: 

• Litter (circular items such as hair ties and rubber bands should be snipped before disposal)

• Irresponsible fishing practises (ie: drowning in yabby nets or hooked on unattended fishing lines)

• Clearing of riparian habitat for urbanisation and agriculture

• Poor water quality caused by urban and agricultural runoff

• Riverbank damage and erosion

• Dams and weirs

• Water extraction

• Predation by introduced predators

The Southern Highlands Platypus Monitoring Network aims to gain a better understanding about our local platypus population.

To get involved, regularly visit (weekly or fortnightly) one of the monitoring sites and complete a 5-10 minute visual survey. This can be done during a regular morning or afternoon walk. During the survey, note any platypus or rakali (native water rat) observed and submit the data via a digital form which can be located by scanning a QR code located on signs found at each of the monitoring sites.

Monitoring sites can be found at Berrima at the following locations:

• River Bend Reserve
• Lambies Well
• Stone Quarry Walk

This citizen science initiative follows the methods set out by the Australian Platypus Conservancy.