Crawdads, Crawfish, Crayfish, Mudbugs…whatever you call them, they’re all over the grounds at DuBois Center! You might spot one of their stacked mud towers down by the creek, in a horse pasture, or even in the middle of grassy areas near the lake. Next time you go for a creek walk, tread lightly and observe – our resident creek lobsters are not hard to find. Just like humans, they are more active in the spring. If you’re lucky, you might see one swimming (backwards!) or even catch one!
In honor of these curious crustaceans, enjoy these fun facts:
- Crayfish are relatives of lobster, shrimp, crab, krill and barnacles.
- They lay about 800 eggs at one time.
- Crayfish have eight pairs of legs; four are used for walking and four are used for swimming.
- Crayfish limbs can regenerate.
- Their eyes move independently of each other.
- In captivity, Crayfish live on average 2 years, but in the wild they have been known to live up to 30 years.