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Fun Facts
Did You Know?
Crawfish do not grow continuously. They grow in steps: molt the exoskeleton, expand the soft new body to a larger size, wait for the new exoskeleton to harden, repeat. Between molts, no growth. At the molt, rapid expansion. A crawfish that carries just molted is larger than they were two hours ago and will be smaller than they will be in a week once the new shell fills in
If This Animal Could Talk...
"Watch closely, respect my space, and let my habitat explain the rest of the story."
The red swamp crawfish is the most culturally significant wildlife species in North Louisiana, and nobody thinks of them as wildlife. They are the boil. They are the bisque.
They are the thing children catch in the ditch with a piece of bacon tied to a string, which works better than it carries any right to. They are the reason North Louisiana has a cuisine rather than just food. Procambarus clarkii was here since long before anyone had a position on seasoning, and they will be here after, doing what they do in every flooded field and bayou margin and roadside ditch in North Louisiana, which is essentially everything.
A Few More Facts
How they hunt and forage: The red swamp crawfish is an omnivore with strong scavenging tendencies. The red swamp crawfish eats aquatic plants, algae, decaying organic matter, insect larvae, worms, small fish, amphibian eggs, carrion, and anything else that fits in their claws. They are the reason the bacon-on-a-string method works: they will investigate and attempt to eat almost anything organic within reach. They have no particular food standards. They are opportunistic in the way that a species feeding a continent of predators above them in the food chain needs to be. Their role as detritivore and scavenger makes them a key nutrient cycling species in North Louisiana's wetland systems. They converts decomposing organic matter into crawfish biomass, which then becomes bass biomass, heron biomass, otter biomass, and eventually, through the boil, human biomass. They are the engine at the base of a very large machine.
Live birth or eggs? no
When young are born: See the detailed species sections below.
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Accessibility
Accessibility
The crawfish splash in shallow water carries to road shoulders and ditch banks at dawn and dusk. A disturbed crawfish snaps its tail and rockets backward with a splash that carries several feet in still conditions. Active crawfish in shallow flooded fields move continuously, the collective disturbance audible across the field.
Flooded bottomland and rice fields adjacent to parish roads throughout the bottomland parishes put crawfish observation within view from a parked vehicle from October through May. No terrain navigation required. The ditch alongside most rural roads in North Louisiana holds crawfish in most seasons. The mud chimney in the roadside verge shows from the vehicle window year-round.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Red Swamp Crawfish live in North Louisiana?
Yes. The red swamp crawfish is the most culturally significant wildlife species in North Louisiana, and nobody thinks of them as wildlife. They are the reason North Louisiana has a cuisine rather than just food. Procambarus clarkii was here since long before anyone had a position on seasoning, and they will be here after, doing what they do in every flooded field and bayou margin and roadside ditch in North Louisiana, which is essentially everything.
How do you identify Red Swamp Crawfish?
The red swamp crawfish is dark red to burgundy on the body with a rough, bumpy shell and distinctive bright red tubercles, the raised bumps, covering the claws and body. Adults run two to four inches from snout to tail tip. The claws are large relative to the body, a fact that carries consequences for anyone who handles them carelessly, and The claws are large, and a carelessly handled crawfish uses them
What does Red Swamp Crawfish eat?
What the Red Swamp Crawfish Eats
The red swamp crawfish is an omnivore with strong scavenging tendencies. The red swamp crawfish eats aquatic plants, algae, decaying organic matter, insect larvae, worms, small fish, amphibian eggs, carrion, and anything else that fits in their claws. They are the reason the bacon-on-a-string method works: they will investigate and attempt to eat almost anything organic within reach. They have no particular food standards. They are opportunistic in the way that a species feeding a continent of predators above them in the food chain needs to be.
Their role as detritivore and scavenger makes them a key nutrient cycling species in North Louisiana's wetland systems. They converts decomposing organic matter into crawfish biomass, which then becomes bass biomass, heron biomass, otter biomass, and eventually, through the boil, human biomass. They are the engine at the base of a very large machine.
Is Red Swamp Crawfish dangerous to people?
It is not dangerous, although a handled crawfish can pinch in self-defense. Observe it without picking it up
