Outdoor Elements
Mudbug on the Move
Clip | 3m 24sVideo has Closed Captions
A viewer shared a fascinating video of a Paintedhand Mudbug, and Evie dives into the detai
A viewer shared a fascinating video of a Paintedhand Mudbug, and Evie dives into the details of this unique crayfish. Discover how these burrowers build their distinctive mounds and what makes their underground homes so special.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Outdoor Elements is a local public television program presented by PBS Michiana
Outdoor Elements
Mudbug on the Move
Clip | 3m 24sVideo has Closed Captions
A viewer shared a fascinating video of a Paintedhand Mudbug, and Evie dives into the details of this unique crayfish. Discover how these burrowers build their distinctive mounds and what makes their underground homes so special.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipA viewer from Saint Joseph County sent methis great footage of a crayfish walking through his yardin Saint Joseph County, Indiana.
What fun!
I don't oftenget to see crayfish on land, and we often think of them asaquatic creatures, but actually, there's quite a few speciesof burrowing crayfish that make long,deep tunnels in the ground.
Sometimes not necessarilyreally close to water, but always down to the watertable.
I think this is a painted hand mud bug,a species of burrowing crayfish.
And by the way, mud, bugcrayfish, crawfish and crawdad can all be used interchangeably for a different speciesof crayfish.
Burrowing crayfish oftenstack up mud on the outside the entrancehall to their burrow, so sometimes these chimneysare telltale signs of the presence of crayfishin our area.
It's not oftenwe get to see them kind of lumberingalong on the ground, but they do move burrowsfrom time to time or explore for food,especially if it's after a rain or it's a dewy night.
They'll lumber along.
And what I love about thisvideo is you can actually watch thiscrayfish lift up his big heavy front chelaor those front pinchers, and it looks like he'skind of flattening down the grassin front of him or her.
I'm not sureif it's a male or female, and it'sjust a good indication of it.
Must be kind of hard work for a crayfish to walk throughany sort of tall vegetation.
Crayfish eatall kinds of things, from fish to insects to decayingmaterial, even plants, and they will often lurkat night at the edge of their burrow,their holes with their pinchers out, waiting for unsuspectingcreatures to walk by.
They are deca pods.
They have ten legs,those two big pinchers, and then little swimmerets on the undersidethat they use to walk but also swim if they happento be in the water, and they can flip their back tailto propel themselves backwards in the water too.
They are reallyfun creatures to have around.
I hope if you have video or imagesthat you'd like to share with us here on OutdoorElements, you will go and search out our linkon our Outdoor Elements webpage, or even right hereon social media, so that you can message us with your fun thingsthat you found.
We'd be happy there to showcaseit and share it with others.
I'm Eva Kirkwood.
Don'tforget to like our social media so you don't missany of our weekly webisodes.
And remember, you can find your own outdoorelements when you visit area parks and naturalareas.
We'll see you soon.
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Outdoor Elements is a local public television program presented by PBS Michiana