Platypus monitoring

Platypus on a log — Photograph: Doug Gimesy

Platypus live in rivers and creeks throughout Melbourne – but are known to be difficult to find. With your help, we can better understand these shy creatures and support them into the future.

This is more important than ever, as platypus have been formally listed as ‘vulnerable’ in Victoria.

Learn more about this special creature, the threats they face and how we’re helping to protect them in the following video:

Waterwatch Platypus Program - transcript

Where platypus live in Melbourne

Platypus have been recorded in waterways around Greater Melbourne. These provide habitat for plants and animals, and are vital to sustaining much of our region’s native biodiversity.

For detailed data on platypus populations in each catchment, visit our Healthy Waterways website.

Dandenong catchment

Platypus are known to occur in the upper parts of the catchment, namely:

Upper Dandenong Creek
Dobsons Creek
Monbulk Creek
Ferny Creek.

But in recent years, targeted surveys suggest platypus may no longer be present in Upper Dandenong and Ferny Creeks.

Maribyrnong catchment

Platypus have been observed in:

the lower reaches of Jacksons Creek near Sunbury
Deep Creek Upper and Lower
Maribyrnong River, near the junctions with the above creeks.

Werribee catchment

Platypus in the Werribee River are considered locally threatened due to low numbers and continuing long term decline. They are observed:

around Werribee
further upstream around Bacchus Marsh, including in Werribee River Gorge.

Past records suggest that platypus were previously present in Kororoit Creek, but not since the Millennium Drought.

Westernport catchment

Platypus are known to occur in the north eastern parts of the catchment, including rivers and creeks in the following river systems:

Bunyip
Tarago
Lang Lang.

There is also a reintroduced population in Cardinia Creek, with platypus released between 2004 and 2007.

Yarra catchment

Platypus have been observed in:

Mullum Mullum Creek
Yarra River at Warburton and tributaries (including McKenzie King, Surrey Road and Big Pats Creek)
McMahons Creek
Woori Yallock Creek
Chum Creek.

Vulnerable populations of platypus have been observed in:

Diamond Creek in Eltham
Lower Plenty River in Greensborough
Olinda Creek between Lilydale and Mount Evelyn
Little Yarra River in Yarra Junction.

A locally threatened population of platypus has been observed in the Plenty River in South Morang.

Report platypus sightings

Community platypus reports provide researchers with meaningful ecological data. This helps build knowledge of local platypus populations and guide conservation efforts, including how we manage waterways.

There are multiple ways to report platypus sightings across Australia:

PlatypusSPOT website or app, available for iOS and Android
The Platy Project – Australian Conservation Fund
Australian Platypus Conservancy
iNaturalist – a community for naturalists

The best time to spot platypus is at dawn and dusk during autumn and spring.

eDNA sampling

Did you know we can survey platypus numbers from a simple water sample, using a method called environmental DNA (eDNA)?

We work with different community groups across Melbourne to collect water samples in spring and autumn, which are filtered to detect platypus DNA. This indicates if platypus are living in a particular waterway, helping us track the size and distribution of local platypus populations.

Citizen scientists can learn our process for collecting eDNA in the following video:

Platypus Citizen Science: eDNA - transcript

Other ways you can help

Litter is a serious threat to platypus. They can become entangled in items like fishing line, elastic hair ties and sealing rings from food jars. So, remember to: