0 ▁eggs ▁proportional ▁to ▁its ▁size . ▁Gest ation ▁of ▁the ▁eggs ▁takes ▁about ▁nine ▁months , ▁with ▁females ▁carrying ▁the ▁eggs ▁on ▁their ▁tail ▁through ▁winter . ▁After ▁h atch ing ▁in ▁mid - sum mer , ▁the ▁h atch lings ▁of ▁about ▁ ▁attach ▁to ▁the ▁female ' s ▁sw imming ▁legs ▁and ▁will ▁remain ▁with ▁the ▁mother ▁until ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁later ▁in ▁aut umn . ▁A ▁long ▁re product ive ▁process ▁means ▁that ▁females ▁spend ▁much ▁of ▁their ▁life ▁attached ▁to ▁their ▁eggs ▁and ▁h atch lings . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁and ▁habitat ▁ ▁Distribution ▁A . ▁g ould i ▁inhab it ▁rivers ▁and ▁streams ▁at ▁elev ations ▁of ▁approximately ▁ ▁above ▁sea ▁level , ▁with ▁upper ▁limits ▁of ▁. ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 1 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁water ways ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁species ▁habitat ▁is ▁predicted ▁to ▁occur ▁are ▁protected ▁in ▁a ▁formal ▁reserve . ▁ ▁Form er ly , ▁the ▁species ▁was ▁distributed ▁from ▁the ▁Arthur ▁River ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁and ▁east wards ▁across ▁northern ▁Tas mania , ▁where ▁it ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁all ▁rivers ▁flow ing ▁into ▁Bass ▁Stra it , ▁except ▁for ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁T amar ▁catch ment . ▁Despite ▁the ▁two ▁dis j unct ▁ranges , ▁populations ▁across ▁these ▁are ▁gen et ically ▁similar . ▁The ▁species ▁has ▁been ▁introduced ▁into ▁the ▁North ▁E sk ▁( St ▁Pat r icks ▁River ) ▁and ▁the ▁Der w ent ▁catch ments ▁where ▁populations ▁have ▁become ▁established . ▁Today , ▁distribution ▁of ▁A . ▁g ould