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Swamp Antechinus (Antechinus minimus)

The Swamp Antechinus is a small, ground-dwelling carnivorous marsupial of damp coastal heathland, sedgeland, tussock grassland, swamps, gullies and dense shrubland in south-eastern Australia. It is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act, Endangered in South Australia and Vulnerable in Victoria, so dense wet vegetation, ground cover, drainage lines and fire refuges require careful treatment during clearing and construction works.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Vulnerable.

South Australia, National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972: Endangered.

Breeding season

The following pattern applies to the mainland subspecies. Timing varies with rainfall and local conditions, but mating and births are strongly synchronised across populations.

Survey timing should account for low detectability. A May 2024 survey did not capture the species after 210 trap nights despite a recent camera record, so non-detection during a short survey should not be treated as proof of absence.

  • Breeding: Mating occurs from May to August, with peak activity across the synchronised breeding period. Males usually die after mating.
  • Young: Births occur mainly from June to August. Young remain attached to the teats for about two months and become independent at about three months.
  • Movement and dispersal: Dispersal increases in the lead-up to the annual synchronised breeding season. Young generally remain near the maternal territory until independence, while some females remain near their established home territory.
  • Population recovery: Population abundance responds strongly to rainfall. High abundance has followed wet years, while numbers declined to about 10 percent of a peak after rainfall decreased.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and disturbance are most likely to harm the species from May to October because adults are breeding and females are carrying or supporting dependent young. Peak risk is June to September. Disturbance to females or juveniles after breeding can cause local declines.

Identification

The Swamp Antechinus is a medium-sized antechinus with a pointed muzzle, short ears and a distinctive golden or rufous wash over the rump and flanks. Field identification should be based on several features together because small mammals in dense wet vegetation can be difficult to separate during brief encounters.

The upperparts are brown, with a yellow or rufous wash that is strongest on the rump, flanks and hindlegs. The underparts are paler buff or grey-yellow. The species has a long, slender muzzle, long foreclaws, short ears that do not project far beyond the fur, pale eye-rings and pale claws. The tail is short-haired and generally shorter than the head and body.

Head and body: 95 to 140 mm, with Victorian measurements of 99 to 140 mm.

Tail: About 65 to 100 mm, or approximately 70 percent of head and body length.

Weight: Male 50 to 129 g; female 36 to 68 g.

Identification: Separating features

The golden-brown rump and flanks, grey head and shoulders, pale eye-ring, short ears and short-haired tail are useful features when separating this species from other small antechinuses. The species can occur with Bush Rats, Swamp Rats, House Mice and Agile Antechinuses, so photographs, measurements and expert confirmation are appropriate where identification affects project decisions.

The mainland subspecies has eight teats. The Tasmanian and Bass Strait Islands subspecies has six teats, but teat counts are not a routine field character for free-ranging animals.

Identification: Field signs and detection

Individuals shelter in short burrows in topsoil or beneath thick leaf litter, and may share den sites. Dense ground cover, runways through vegetation and disturbed leaf litter can indicate suitable use, but the supplied sources do not provide a diagnostic track, scat, call or nest description for this species.

Live trapping and remote cameras have both been used in targeted surveys. A May 2024 survey used 60 Elliott traps over 210 trap nights, but did not capture the species even though a recent camera record indicated a medium likelihood of occurrence at Grey River. Non-detection therefore does not demonstrate absence.

  • Treat dense, structurally complex vegetation near drainage lines, gullies, swamps and coastal dunes as potential habitat until assessed.
  • Use more than one survey method where practicable, such as Elliott trapping paired with short-distance baited cameras, particularly where abundance may be low.

Distribution: National range

The mainland subspecies has a fragmented coastal and near-coastal distribution from south-eastern South Australia through coastal Victoria to Wilsons Promontory and nearby islands. The species as a whole also includes the Tasmanian and Bass Strait Islands subspecies.

Antechinus minimus maritimus extends from near Robe in South Australia to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, including Great Glennie, Rabbit, Kanowna and Snake islands. Isolated inland records extend to Casterton, the Otway Ranges, Korumburra and Gembrook. Records range from sea level to 220 m above sea level, with most records from low elevations.

In South Australia, the species is associated particularly with the lower south-east, including silky tea-tree dominated wetlands and the Karst Springs and Alkaline Fens of the Naracoorte Coastal Plain bioregion. In Victoria, records include the Otways, South Gippsland, coastal heathlands and Wilsons Promontory.

States and territories: South Australia and Victoria for A. m. maritimus; Tasmania and Bass Strait Islands for A. m. minimus.

Recorded elevation: Sea level to 220 m above sea level, with most records at low elevation.

Estimated recent extent of occurrence: 48,796 km² based on records from 1995 to 2015.

Estimated recent area of occupancy: 360 km² using a 2 by 2 km grid method, although the advice notes that this may be an underestimate.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

Important known areas include Wilsons Promontory and the Great Otway region in Victoria, coastal islands such as Great Glennie and Kanowna, and silky tea-tree wetlands in the south-east of South Australia. The Karst Springs and Alkaline Fens ecological community identifies the Swamp Antechinus as a characteristic species of good-condition wetland remnants and notes its particular reliance on Silky Tea-tree.

Populations are highly fragmented. Recent Otway work identifies small coastal dune and inland gully refuges, including habitat near the Grey River that may provide movement between coastal and inland areas.

Distribution: Population status and trend

There is no integrated population monitoring program and no robust total population estimate. The conservation advice cites an estimate of 100,000 mature individuals, but considers the population to be declining and the distribution severely fragmented.

In the eastern Otways, the mapped distribution declined by approximately 40 percent between 2001 and 2015. Surveys in 2013 to 2015 captured only six individuals at 33 sites over 4,695 trap nights, compared with historical records from many more sites. In south-eastern South Australia, the historical decline in distribution is estimated at 80 to 90 percent, largely from clearing and drainage in the 1950s and 1960s.

Mature individuals: No robust estimate is available. The EPBC assessment considered the total number unlikely to be below 10,000 and cited an estimate of 100,000 mature individuals.

Eastern Otways trend: Approximately 40 percent distribution decline between 2001 and 2015.

South-east South Australia trend: Estimated historical distribution decline of 80 to 90 percent.

Habitat: Habitat types

Swamp Antechinuses require damp habitat with dense vegetation and substantial ground cover. Suitable habitat is usually shaded or partly sheltered from direct sun and may occur in small wetland, heathland, dune, gully or drainage-line remnants.

Recorded habitats include dense wet heathland, tussock grassland, sedgeland, damp gullies, swamps, coastal dune scrub, coastal headland scrub, damp forest, woodland and some shrubby woodlands. In south-eastern South Australia, the species is heavily reliant on wetlands dominated by Silky Tea-tree, Leptospermum lanigerum.

The species is associated with the terrestrial and fringing vegetation of Karst Springs and Alkaline Fens. It can use adjacent wetland, sedgeland, shrubland and woodland where these retain dense cover and connectivity.

Habitat: Vegetation structure

The most suitable sites have mature, dense vegetation, thick ground cover and structurally complex vegetation from ground level to about 1 to 2 m above the ground. Long-unburnt coastal dune scrub with high moisture and nutrient levels has been identified as refuge habitat in the Otways.

Continuous or dense Silky Tea-tree canopy or subcanopy is particularly important in the Karst Springs and Alkaline Fens ecological community. Open, heavily grazed, recently burnt or simplified vegetation is less suitable because it provides less shelter and may increase exposure to predators.

  • Retain dense shrub, sedge and tussock layers rather than clearing only the canopy.
  • Protect wetland margins, drainage lines, damp gullies and adjoining native vegetation as part of the habitat unit.
  • Avoid dividing small patches or removing linear vegetation that may connect coastal refuges with inland habitat.

Habitat: Elevation and climate

The mainland subspecies occurs from sea level to 220 m above sea level, with a strong concentration of records at low elevations. Population abundance is strongly influenced by rainfall. Numbers increased after an exceptionally wet year at Anglesea and declined to about 10 percent of the peak one year after rainfall decreased.

Drier conditions and drought reduce the suitability of wetland habitat. Climate change is expected to increase pressure on small, isolated remnants through reduced rainfall, higher temperatures and increased fire risk.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Swamp Antechinus is a terrestrial insectivore that searches through leaf litter, soil and dense low vegetation. It uses long foreclaws to investigate litter and soil and may take a broad range of small animal prey.

The diet includes a wide range of invertebrates, particularly moth larvae and beetles. Small vertebrates and seeds are also recorded. Victorian rehabilitation guidance lists beetles, weevils, spiders and cockroaches among the invertebrate foods.

Primary food: Invertebrates, especially moth larvae and beetles.

Additional food: Small vertebrates and seeds; beetles, weevils, spiders and cockroaches are also listed.

Foraging habitat: Foraging locations and method

Foraging occurs at ground level in leaf litter and soil, beneath tussocks and within dense shrubs and sedges. Sites with high understorey cover provide both prey habitat and protection while animals move and forage.

The species can be active during the day or night on the mainland. The available sources do not provide a quantified daily foraging distance, but reported home ranges are about 1.7 ha for females and 2.7 ha for males.

Female home range: About 1.7 ha.

Male home range: About 2.7 ha.

  • Retain leaf litter, fallen branches, tussock bases and dense low vegetation within and beside work areas.
  • Avoid stripping or compacting damp topsoil and litter where these provide feeding habitat and shelter.
  • Keep food-rich wetland margins connected to nearby shrubland, heathland and gully vegetation.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding is highly synchronised and occurs once each year. The species depends on dense, sheltered habitat before and after breeding because females and young have limited opportunities to recover from disturbance.

Mating occurs from May to August, with births generally occurring from June to August. Males undergo a post-mating die-off. Some females survive to breed in a second or third season, but most females may have only one breeding opportunity within their lifetime.

Females give birth to up to eight young. Following birth, young remain attached to the teats for about two months and become independent at about three months.

Mating season: May to August.

Births: June to August, with up to eight young.

Gestation: Approximately 28 to 32 days, or around 30 days.

Litter size: Six to eight young in Victorian guidance, with up to eight reported in the conservation advice.

Age at independence: About three months. Young remain attached to teats for about two months.

Age at maturity: Female maturity is estimated at 10 to 12 months. Male maturity is unknown, but is estimated at 8 to 10 months.

Lifespan: Males about 12 months; females about 18 to 36 months.

Breeding habitat: Breeding habitat features

Breeding habitat is dense, damp vegetation with thick ground cover, leaf litter and sheltered ground-level refuges. Suitable habitat includes dense heathland, sedgeland, tussock grassland, coastal dune scrub, wetland margins and damp gullies.

Disturbance to females and dependent young after breeding can cause local declines because young are dependent for several months and the breeding cycle is tightly synchronised.

  • Avoid clearing, slashing, burning, soil stripping and high levels of machinery traffic through occupied dense habitat from May to at least August.
  • Where disturbance cannot be avoided, retain connected cover and protect nearby unburnt refuges, wetland margins and dense shrub layers.
  • Plan any fauna handling or exclusion work with a suitably qualified person because absence from a short survey does not confirm that a population is absent.

Sheltering habitat: Ground refuges

Swamp Antechinuses shelter close to the ground in short burrows, thick leaf litter and dense vegetation. They may share den sites, so small shelter features can support more than one animal.

When inactive, the species shelters in a short burrow in topsoil or beneath thick leaf litter. It also shelters at the base of tussocks and thick shrubs. Communal use of den sites has been recorded, despite the species being described as solitary in Victorian field guidance.

Dense vegetation up to 1 to 2 m above ground level, thick litter, tussock bases, fallen woody material and damp topsoil provide cover from weather and predators.

  • Retain leaf litter, tussock bases, low shrubs, fallen woody material and undisturbed topsoil within potential habitat.
  • Do not stockpile soil, slash or construction materials over dense wetland, dune or gully vegetation.
  • Keep machinery and foot traffic out of shelter areas wherever practicable to prevent burrow collapse, compaction and loss of ground cover.

Sheltering habitat: Refuge habitat

Important refuges include long-unburnt coastal dune scrub, dense wet heathland, wetland edges dominated by Silky Tea-tree, damp gullies and riparian corridors. In the Otways, some refuges are small and linear, including coastal dunes and inland gullies.

After severe fire, some populations have not recolonised for 15 years, while recolonisation at other sites took about 20 years. Patchy fire allowed some animals to survive, showing the value of unburnt refuges within or beside a burn area.

Post-fire recolonisation: Recolonisation has taken about 15 years at some sites and about 20 years in an eastern Otways study.

  • Retain unburnt patches and mature dense vegetation during fire planning and post-fire works.
  • Protect riparian and gully corridors that may allow movement between coastal refuges and inland habitat.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are removal and fragmentation of dense wet habitat, altered drainage, inappropriate fire, predation after loss of cover, grazing and pathogen spread. Threats can interact, especially where small isolated populations lose ground cover and cannot recolonise nearby patches.

Habitat loss, drainage, fragmentation and small remnant size are severe threats. Coastal wetlands and heathlands have been cleared, drained or isolated for agriculture, residential development and other land uses. Limited dispersal makes isolated populations more likely to disappear.

In project areas, even narrow linear clearings can remove ground cover, expose animals to predators and interrupt movement between coastal dunes, gullies, wetlands and shrubland. A 2024 Otways assessment recommended minimising vegetation removal and retaining riparian habitat near the Grey River.

  • Avoid clearing dense native vegetation, wetland margins, drainage lines, gullies and coastal dune scrub.
  • Use existing tracks or already flattened paths where practicable, and keep the construction footprint as narrow as practicable.
  • Retain habitat links and nearby native vegetation rather than treating isolated small patches as having no value.

Threats: Fire

Too-frequent burning and severe wildfire are severe threats. The species is a late post-fire recoloniser of woodland habitats and requires mature dense vegetation with thick ground cover. Severe fire has caused local extinction, with recolonisation slow or absent at some sites.

Fuel reduction burning, roadside slashing and other planned fire activities can alter the age and structure of vegetation. Fire risk is particularly high where small populations are confined to one park or a few isolated refuges.

  • Avoid burning occupied or potential habitat during project works unless the fire regime has been assessed specifically for this species.
  • Retain a connected mosaic of mature, dense vegetation and unburnt refuges.
  • Record fire history and inspect post-fire vegetation response before approving further disturbance.

Threats: Predators and grazing

Fox predation is a moderate threat across a large part of the range, and feral cat kills have been recorded where settlements meet populations. Predation risk may increase when grazing removes ground cover. Livestock, feral herbivores and dense native herbivore populations can reduce habitat suitability and population viability.

Introduced predator impacts were rated as a moderate threat to the species in the Central Highlands assessment.

  • Keep dogs and cats out of habitat and prevent domestic animals from entering construction areas adjoining occupied vegetation.
  • Avoid creating open, linear edges or removing low cover that may increase predator access.
  • Manage grazing and trampling in important habitat, particularly around wetland margins and tussock or sedge cover.

Threats: Disease, hydrology and climate

Phytophthora cinnamomi was identified as a major threat at three inland Otways sites. Construction equipment, vehicles, tools and footwear can transfer infested soil and spread the pathogen through otherwise suitable habitat.

Drainage, altered groundwater discharge, reduced wetland flows, changed inundation and increased salinity degrade the wet habitats on which the species depends. The Karst Springs and Alkaline Fens advice identifies altered hydrology, drainage, reduced freshwater flows, vegetation clearance and fragmentation as major pressures on the ecological community.

Below-average rainfall and drought can cause substantial population declines. Drier conditions also increase the risk that small wetland and coastal populations will lose suitable cover.

  • Use project hygiene controls for soil, machinery, vehicles, tools and footwear, particularly where Phytophthora is known or suspected.
  • Avoid drains, culverts, road alignments, crossings and earthworks that alter wetland saturation, groundwater levels or natural flow paths.
  • Prevent sediment, polluted runoff, fertiliser, herbicide and weed spread from entering wetland and gully habitat.
  • Use elevated structures where appropriate to reduce vegetation removal, soil compaction and hydrological effects.

Survey methodology: 1. Elliott trapping

Survey design must account for the Swamp Antechinus’s low abundance, small movements and variable detectability. Use more than one method where practicable, and do not treat a non-detection as proof that suitable habitat is unoccupied.

Use live Elliott trapping in dense, structurally complex habitat, including wet heathland, coastal scrub, sedgeland, tussock grassland, damp gullies, swamps and vegetation along drainage lines.

Autumn trapping is suitable before the May to August breeding season, when populations are expected to be at their highest density before the post-breeding reduction in numbers.

The 2024 Otway survey used 60 Elliott traps at two sites for four nights, producing 210 trap nights. Traps were about 10 metres apart, checked twice daily, and placed within vegetation for insulation and protection from wet conditions.

Use bedding and weather protection in traps, and bait with rolled oats, peanut butter and honey where approved by the relevant authority.

Record sex, measurements, weight and reproductive condition, and release animals at the capture point after processing. Tissue sampling requires appropriate authorisation and sterile equipment.

Trap success can be low even where the species is present. A 2024 survey recorded no Swamp Antechinus in 210 trap nights despite a recent camera record and suitable nearby habitat.

Breeding period: May to August

Trap arrangement used in the 2024 Otway survey: 60 Elliott traps, about 10 metres apart

Survey effort used in the 2024 Otway survey: Four nights and 210 trap nights

Recorded home range: About 1.7 hectares for females and 2.7 hectares for males

  • Obtain all required wildlife research and animal ethics approvals before trapping.
  • Avoid trapping during extreme heat, cold, heavy rain or other conditions that could expose animals to hypothermia, overheating or prolonged stress.
  • Use a qualified person to check traps early each morning and again in the late afternoon, and close or remove traps if conditions become unsafe.
  • Use repeat trapping where a decision depends on presence or absence, because a single four-night survey may fail to detect animals at low density.

Survey methodology: 2. Remote cameras

Use remote cameras as a complementary method in refuges, dense coastal scrub, drainage lines, riparian habitat and other areas where live trapping may have low detection probability.

Place cameras close to the ground and use a baited lure only where this is permitted by the project approvals and wildlife authorities. The 2024 Otway report recommends white-flash cameras set at short distances, about 1 metre from baited lures, for longer sampling periods.

Prioritise cameras at known or recent records, including coastal dune refuges and the Grey River area, and at habitat corridors between coastal and inland habitat.

Run cameras for longer than a short trapping visit where practicable, because camera surveys can collect information over a longer period and have detected animals missed by Elliott trapping.

Short-distance camera placement recommended in the 2024 Otway report: About 1 metre from a baited lure

Recent relevant record: A camera record at Grey River in 2023 supported a medium likelihood of occurrence despite no captures in 2024 Elliott trapping

  • Record camera location, habitat type, deployment dates, lure used, camera settings and the identity of the person checking the camera.
  • Do not use a camera non-detection to clear habitat without considering survey duration, weather, season, habitat suitability and other detection evidence.

Survey methodology: 3. Habitat assessment and targeted searches

Map dense understorey from ground level to about 1 to 2 metres, damp soils, thick leaf litter, short burrows, communal den areas, drainage lines, reedy swamps, wet heathland, coastal dune scrub and silky tea-tree dominated wetlands.

Assess whether vegetation is mature, dense and structurally complex, with thick ground cover and little exposure to direct sun. Record breaks in cover, recent fire, grazing, weeds, drainage changes and predator access.

Search for indirect evidence such as burrows, runways, tracks and scats, but do not rely on indirect evidence alone because the species is cryptic and can occur at low density.

Use habitat mapping to identify connected areas between coastal refuges, riparian corridors, gullies and wetlands. Small, linear and fragmented refuges may still support the species.

Preferred vegetation height: Dense vegetation about 1 to 2 metres above ground

South Australian habitat association: Silky tea-tree dominated wetlands

Known mainland distribution: Coastal areas from near Robe in South Australia to Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, with isolated inland records

  • Record the condition and extent of each habitat patch, including the dominant vegetation, ground cover, moisture, fire age and signs of grazing or predation.
  • Treat dense Leptospermum lanigerum, or silky tea-tree, fringing wetlands as high-priority habitat in south-eastern South Australia.
  • Use targeted trapping and cameras in suitable habitat rather than placing all effort along easily accessible but unsuitable ground.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use the relevant state survey and animal welfare requirements, and obtain approval for trapping, handling, tissue sampling and any relocation before fieldwork starts.
  • For a presence or absence assessment, use at least the documented four-night, 60-trap design where the site and approvals allow, and add remote cameras where habitat is fragmented or abundance is expected to be low.
  • Report all captures, camera detections, non-detections, habitat observations, trap effort and survey limitations in the ecological assessment and fauna management records.
  • Submit verified records and accurate coordinates to the relevant state wildlife database, such as the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas or the South Australian government wildlife recording system.
  • Retain photographs, specimen or tissue information where authorised, trap sheets, camera files and chain-of-custody records with the project environmental records.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Avoiding habitat loss is the primary control. The species occurs in small, isolated populations and recolonisation after severe fire or habitat loss can take many years or may not occur.

  • Retain dense native vegetation with thick ground cover, particularly wet heath, coastal dune scrub, sedgeland, tussock grassland, damp gullies, swamps, drainage lines and shrubby woodland.
  • Retain continuous or near-continuous cover between known or potential habitat patches, including riparian corridors such as the Grey River corridor.
  • Avoid clearing dense Leptospermum lanigerum around wetlands and retain mature shrub canopy and sedge layers that provide shelter and foraging habitat.
  • Avoid draining wetlands, altering groundwater or surface flows, compacting wet soils, or increasing exposure to sun in damp habitat.
  • Use the smallest practicable construction footprint and place access tracks, stockpiles, compounds and laydown areas outside suitable habitat.
  • Apply buffers around retained habitat and wetlands that prevent indirect effects from machinery, drainage, sediment, weeds, grazing and predator access. Set the buffer using the project’s ecological assessment and regulatory requirements because the documents do not specify a species distance.
  • Retain habitat refugia and long-unburnt, structurally complex vegetation where practicable.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

National listing: Vulnerable under the EPBC Act

South Australian listing: Endangered

Victorian listing: Vulnerable

Breeding period: May to August

  • Check whether the proposed action may have a significant impact on the EPBC Act listed Vulnerable subspecies and refer the action if required.
  • Obtain state approvals, wildlife permits and permissions for survey, trapping, handling, relocation, tissue sampling and clearing before work starts.
  • Prepare a fauna management plan that identifies potential habitat, no-go areas, survey methods, authorised personnel, stop-work triggers, handling procedures, relocation sites, hygiene controls and reporting requirements.
  • Schedule clearing outside the May to August breeding period where practicable, and avoid disturbing females and dependent young during the breeding season.
  • Stage clearing so retained habitat remains connected and animals have access to nearby cover. Do not create isolated strips or leave animals surrounded by cleared ground.
  • Plan works to avoid high fire danger and conditions that increase the risk of wildfire or accidental burning.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

  • Complete a targeted pre-clearance survey in all damp, densely vegetated habitat and within the proposed disturbance footprint, using trapping and remote cameras where authorised.
  • Mark no-go habitat, retained vegetation, drainage lines, wetland margins, known records, refuge habitat and access routes before machinery enters the site.
  • Inspect the work area for short burrows, den sites, thick litter, logs and other cover, while recognising that absence of visible signs does not exclude the species.
  • Install exclusion fencing only where it can guide animals towards retained habitat and cannot trap animals inside the work area or block movement to food, shelter and water.
  • Brief machinery operators and supervisors on the species’ appearance, habitat, stop-work triggers, hygiene requirements and the authority of the fauna spotter catcher.
  • Clean machinery, footwear and soil-moving equipment before entering or leaving sites where Phytophthora cinnamomi is present or suspected.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and spotter catcher procedures

The fauna spotter catcher must work as part of the clearing crew, with authority to pause work. The highest risks are removal of dense cover, fire, predation after cover loss, pathogen spread and animals being isolated in small remnants.

  • Inspect exclusion fencing, gates, no-go markers and retained vegetation before work each day.
  • Keep a suitably authorised fauna spotter catcher present during clearing in or beside potential habitat, and maintain direct communication with the machine operator.
  • Clear towards retained habitat where this is supported by the approved fauna management plan, while avoiding pushing animals into open ground, roads, water or active machinery zones.
  • Use hand clearing around dense ground cover, burrows and wetland margins where machinery could crush animals or remove the only shelter.
  • Stop work if an animal, burrow, den, injured individual or unexpected habitat feature is found within the work area.
  • Do not allow workers to chase, corner, handle or photograph an animal unless they are authorised under the project approval and fauna management plan.

During habitat disturbance: Found animals and injured fauna

  • Stop machinery and establish a quiet exclusion zone when a Swamp Antechinus is found.
  • Have the authorised fauna handler assess the animal before deciding whether it should remain in place, move under its own direction, or be captured and relocated.
  • Use only approved capture, restraint, transport and release methods, and minimise handling time, noise, heat and exposure.
  • Release a healthy animal into nearby retained habitat with dense cover and similar moisture and vegetation conditions, as close as practicable to the capture location and in accordance with the approval.
  • Do not relocate an animal across roads, cleared land, unsuitable dry habitat or a barrier that prevents return to its home area.
  • Place injured or compromised animals in a secure, quiet container and contact the nominated wildlife veterinarian or authorised wildlife carer immediately.
  • Do not disturb a pouch, dependent young or a post-breeding animal without advice from the authorised wildlife handler or veterinarian.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features, hygiene and stop-work triggers

  • Treat dense ground cover, short burrows, thick litter, logs and wetland margins as fauna habitat and retain them unless their removal is approved and supervised.
  • Do not burn, mulch or slash retained refuge habitat without confirming the fire and vegetation controls in the fauna management plan.
  • Stop work for any Swamp Antechinus detection, unexpected record, injured animal, dependent young, fire escape, damage to a no-go area, failure of exclusion fencing or unplanned drainage change.
  • Stop and reassess if machinery breaks the approved footprint, exposes animals to open ground, or leaves an isolated patch that cannot support movement between retained areas.
  • Keep soil, mud and vegetation from infected or suspect areas off vehicles, footwear and tools, and use the approved Phytophthora hygiene procedure.
  • Maintain sediment, runoff, dust, weed and waste controls so wetland and drainage habitat is not degraded during construction.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident reporting

  • Record the date, time, location, activity, habitat condition, personnel, animal identification, photographs, action taken, release location and outcome for every detection or handling event.
  • Record daily clearing areas, retained habitat, spotter catcher attendance, fencing inspections, machinery movements, hygiene actions and any breaches.
  • Notify the project environmental officer and the relevant regulator of a listed species incident, injury, mortality, unapproved clearing or failure of a control, as required by the approval.
  • Update the project map and fauna risk register after every detection so subsequent work uses the best available information.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-clearing work must confirm that animals were not left within the disturbance area and that retained habitat remains connected and functional. Continue controls until vegetation and wetland condition are stable.

  • Complete a final inspection of the cleared footprint, retained vegetation edge, exclusion fencing, drainage lines and wetland margins before the area is handed to the construction crew.
  • Check machinery, spoil, stockpiles and temporary structures for trapped or sheltering animals before they are moved or removed.
  • Repeat targeted camera surveys or Elliott trapping in retained habitat where a pre-clearance record exists, the species was detected, or clearing removed part of a refuge.
  • Inspect for new barriers, exposed ground, weed invasion, erosion, altered drainage and increased predator access along the cleared edge.
  • Keep fauna controls in place until the environmental officer confirms that construction risk has ended.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

  • Monitor retained habitat for occupancy, vegetation structure, ground cover, moisture, fire impacts, weeds, predators and connectivity.
  • Use repeat surveys to distinguish a true absence from a non-detection, particularly where the species was previously recorded or habitat remains suitable.
  • Compare monitoring results with pre-work records and report changes in capture rates, camera detections, habitat condition and any mortality.
  • Submit verified new records to the relevant state wildlife database and provide statutory reports required by EPBC Act or state approvals.
  • Retain survey data, photographs, maps, permits, handling records, incident reports and rehabilitation results in the project close-out file.

After habitat disturbance: Ongoing controls and offsets

  • Maintain weed, predator, grazing, drainage, sediment and Phytophthora controls for the period specified in the approval or fauna management plan.
  • Protect retained habitat from prescribed burning until the responsible fire manager confirms that the fire regime will maintain mature dense vegetation and thick ground cover.
  • Use offsets only where required by the approval, and ensure that any offset or conservation action protects and manages habitat for the Swamp Antechinus rather than only counting area.
  • Review whether supplementary restoration or additional predator control is needed if monitoring shows declining detections or loss of ground cover.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore habitat structure and connectivity

Rehabilitation should recreate damp, dense cover and reconnect small habitat patches. It will not quickly replace mature refuge habitat, so retain existing habitat wherever possible.

  • Revegetate disturbed edges with locally appropriate native species that recreate dense wet heath, coastal scrub, sedgeland, tussock grassland, damp gully or wetland vegetation for the site.
  • Use silky tea-tree, Leptospermum lanigerum, where it is a natural component of the affected south-eastern South Australian wetland community and the rehabilitation design supports it.
  • Restore vegetation from ground level to about 1 to 2 metres, with dense understorey, thick litter and low exposure to direct sun.
  • Reconnect retained patches with native vegetation along drainage lines, gullies and riparian corridors, and prevent new breaks caused by tracks, fences or infrastructure.
  • Do not rely on open grass or regularly mown areas as replacement habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Reinstate shelter and wetland function

  • Retain or replace fallen timber, leaf litter and other ground cover where this is consistent with the approved rehabilitation design and biosecurity requirements.
  • Reinstate natural drainage and wetland saturation without creating new erosion, ponding or barriers to animal movement.
  • Avoid importing soil, mulch or plant material that could spread Phytophthora cinnamomi or weeds, and apply the approved hygiene and quarantine procedures.
  • Do not install nest boxes as a substitute for the species’ primary ground and dense-vegetation shelter unless a species specialist and regulator approve the measure.
  • Keep domestic animals, livestock and construction traffic out of rehabilitated habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, grazing, weeds and predators

  • Develop a site fire regime that maintains mature dense vegetation and thick ground cover, and avoid fire intervals that repeatedly remove refuge habitat.
  • Protect rehabilitated areas from livestock and excessive native or feral herbivore grazing until ground cover and shrub structure are established.
  • Control weeds before they simplify the understorey or alter wetland condition, using methods that do not expose animals to unsafe chemicals or remove all cover at once.
  • Control foxes and feral cats around important subpopulations in accordance with approved predator management programs, and maintain predator-free status on islands supporting the subspecies.
  • Assess fire, predator, grazing, rainfall, hydrology and Phytophthora effects together because these pressures can interact in small isolated populations.

Rehabilitation actions: Monitoring and success measures

Observed recolonisation timeframe after some severe fires: Mostly about 15 years, with previous reports of about 20 years in the Otways

Recommended monitoring focus: Distribution, subpopulation numbers, habitat condition, fire and vegetation response, and feral predator abundance

  • Monitor plant survival, native cover, vegetation height, litter depth, wetland moisture, weed cover, fire history, grazing, predator activity and connectivity at fixed locations.
  • Use remote cameras and, where authorised, repeat Elliott trapping to test whether rehabilitated habitat is being used. Apply the same method and comparable effort as the baseline survey where possible.
  • Set success measures around establishment of dense native ground and shrub cover, maintained wetland function, absence of new barriers, reduced weed and predator impacts, and evidence of movement or occupancy.
  • Continue monitoring for enough time to detect delayed recolonisation, recognising that recolonisation after severe fire has taken about 15 to 20 years at some sites and may not occur.
  • Adapt planting, hydrology, fire, grazing and predator controls if monitoring shows that habitat remains too open, dry, fragmented or exposed.

Sources