Crawdads live in a wide variety of wet environments, from deep, fast-flowing rivers to dry land next to streams. Some species can be found in almost any of these homes, while the range of others tends to be more limited. Several crawfish species dig streamside holes leading to labyrinths of burrows, tunnels, and underground nooks. These species push dirt outside as they excavate, creating exterior “chimneys”.
We found one in this waterfall, used our knife to get it out.
Crawdads play a critical role in the ecosystem of streams and streamside habitats. They’ll eat anything- plants, insects, small fish- and are themselves eaten by lots of animals. They are also scavengers, feeding on dead plants and animals. In this way, crayfish help cycle nutrients and make them available to other animals. Birds, reptiles, and many mammals consume crawdads. Fish seemingly benefit the most from crawdads, eating well over half of all hatched every 365 days. Crayfish are especially susceptible to being devoured whenever they shed their exoskeleton, leaving a soft exterior that takes awhile to harden.
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