Posted by Tamu Johnson on June 22, 2006

Q: I was walking during the early morning at a big park in Indianapolis and came across small lobster-like creatures walking along the path. Some had claws, others didn't but they were all the same color (live lobster). The park is pretty large and is surrounded by creeks and lots of trees and other damp, dark areas. Or am I imagining things?

Habitat: forest/open woods

State: Indiana

Habitat: forest/open woods

A: Crayfish are pretty unmistakeable so if you think you saw one, you probably did. Although we think of crayfish as living in lakes and streams, some species actually live in burrows in the ground. These more terrestrial species dig burrows down to the water table and live within the burrow during the day (they have gills and must remain wet) and then forage out and about on the ground's surface at night or on wet days (as long as they're wet, they can last quite a long time at the surface). Sounds like you may have come across one of these crayfish that hadn't gotten back to its burrow yet. Hope this helps.

John Wiessinger ( June 23, 2006)