Found And Rescued A Wild Injured Crayfish

[Amina]

Well I was at the barn and the owner of the barn pulled out a tack trunk from the wall to get a halter that fell behind it...and right next to the trunk thre was a spiggot on the wall that is broken and drips alot now. Anyways...she pulled it out and out crawled this little creature running as fast as he could.

Now shes from Chicago..and was screaming at the top of her lungs, cuz shes never seen anything like that in her life...and she almost stepped on it.

I ran over and picked him up and put him in a bucket with water... poor thing must've gotten picked out of the nearby creek by the barn cats and tortured. He's missing a claw and a leg or two is broken in half. he went over to the dripping hose trying to stay alive...what a little trooper!

I've got him home now in a tiny little tank on my desk infront of me. He's only about the size of a large paperclip.

Theres no way im gonna put him with my other crayfish (which i bought from the pet store) who is the size of your hand...(i sware hes a freshwater lobster...)

anyways...he dosnt seem to like the gravel..he keeps trying to dig into it without much success...

I think he would like a sand/dirt bottom better? i figure thats what prob at the bottom of the creeks.

You think he would just enjoy some play sand well rinsed? I dont really know where to get anything like that, all the stores really have is gravel.

i'll take some pics of him later. I'd like to know what kind he is and how big he'll get. I didnt even know we had Crayfish in NC!

 

[raptorrex]

Well I was at the barn and the owner of the barn pulled out a tack trunk from the wall to get a halter that fell behind it...and right next to the trunk thre was a spiggot on the wall that is broken and drips alot now. Anyways...she pulled it out and out crawled this little creature running as fast as he could.

Now shes from Chicago..and was screaming at the top of her lungs, cuz shes never seen anything like that in her life...and she almost stepped on it.

I ran over and picked him up and put him in a bucket with water... poor thing must've gotten picked out of the nearby creek by the barn cats and tortured. He's missing a claw and a leg or two is broken in half. he went over to the dripping hose trying to stay alive...what a little trooper!

I've got him home now in a tiny little tank on my desk infront of me. He's only about the size of a large paperclip.

Theres no way im gonna put him with my other crayfish (which i bought from the pet store) who is the size of your hand...(i sware hes a freshwater lobster...)

anyways...he dosnt seem to like the gravel..he keeps trying to dig into it without much success...

I think he would like a sand/dirt bottom better? i figure thats what prob at the bottom of the creeks.

You think he would just enjoy some play sand well rinsed? I dont really know where to get anything like that, all the stores really have is gravel.

i'll take some pics of him later. I'd like to know what kind he is and how big he'll get. I didnt even know we had Crayfish in NC!

without a picture, it is hard to try for an id. many N American cray love to burrow and the gravel size may be causing it problems now, but that will not last.and sand may cave in and trap the poor little fellow, but if you wish "playsand" is fine. it may well have been the "nest" of the cray, providing the conditions are right, and there is access to water, some do indeed build a burrow much, if not all, of which is dry! the damage will sort itself out, after several moults, you will not know it ever happened.

lol if i knew what NC meant i may be able to pin down a breed. however if its North Carolina, you will be amased by the number of cray you have there:
http/pisgah.state.nc.us/pg07_WildlifeSpe...crayfishes.html

 

[3ndl3r]

yep a picture would be great. for now try and feed him live bloodworms. and ye they prefer sand.

 

[raptorrex]

yep a picture would be great. for now try and feed him live bloodworms. and ye they prefer sand.

but keep the protein down, these guys are veg eaters, for the most part. too much protein will cause problems with both growth and bacterial infection in the damaged clay. it may be best to avoid it completely till the wound closes at least. and no it will not hurt your poor cray.

 

[FeroX]

Keep it in pristine water and when it moults the damaged limbs will regrow.