[5] The burrowing crayfish spend their entire life cycle underground in tunnel systems, only coming to the surface during wet, overcast conditions and during the night.

During this period, females can be observed carrying large, orange coloured eggs[6] or hatchlings under her tail which folds over to form a pocket structure for protection.

[5] The majority of the species in this genus consume rotting wood, detritus, root material and animal matter such as grubs and worms if they encounter them.

[7] As the Engaeus genus dispersal using water ways is limited due to their terrestrial nature, local speciation rates may be high.

[6] A characteristic feature of the genus, Engaeus, is that the entrance of their burrows typically has a ‘chimney’ structure constructed out of balls of mud.

[6] It is important to note that these activities are detrimental to the genus long term, they are significantly more damaging during periods where the burrowing crayfish are vulnerable such as during moulting, breeding, on the surface or caring for offspring.