Most of us associate crayfish with southern bayous, shallow rivers and rocky creeks; some of us also recall the blind, albino crayfish that inhabit the streams and pools of caves. But there are also a large number of terrestrial species, of which the prairie crayfish is one of the more common.
Favoring wet meadows and floodplain grasslands, prairie crayfish dig burrows to access their cool, moist habitat, often leaving chimneys of mud around the entrance. Deep enough to reach the water table, these burrows may be far from surface water and often extend to depths of six feet. The crayfish emerge from the burrows at night (or during periods of cloudy, humid weather), wandering the grassland to find mates or food. In spring and fall, large numbers may be encountered on rainy mornings as they cross trails or country roads.
Terrestrial crayfish can be a nuisance in some crop or tree farm regions but otherwise play an important role in the wetland-prairie ecosystem. Their digging aerates and mixes the soil and their burrows provide wintering sites for amphibians, lizards and snakes. Showing little appreciation, these same creatures feed on the crayfish, as do herons, raccoons, otters, mink, fox and humans. Those that survive predation mate in March and the female crayfish carries fertilized eggs on her abdomen for two months; once hatched, the tiny youngsters remain attached to dear old mom through their first two molts before dropping off to fend for themselves.
