For Wildlife, Everywhere
White-clawed Crayfish
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Hear the White-clawed Crayfish
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Species profile
General information about the species, gathered from the sources listed at the end of the profile.
Austropotamobius pallipes
This is Britain's only native crayfish. It lives in clean rivers and it is in danger, so people are helping it come back.
Quick Facts
- Habitat
- Clean, cool rivers and streams with stones or clay banks.
- Diet
- Water plants, fallen leaves and small creatures, and it eats dead material too.
- Size
- Up to about 12 cm long.
- Conservation
- Endangered
Amazing Facts
- Its scientific name pallipes means pale-footed, after its pale claws.
- Banham Zoo has built a hatchery with Norfolk Rivers Trust to raise crayfish and release them into the wild.
- It is in danger from dirty water, lost habitat and new species arriving from abroad.
Looking After Them
How threatened it is: Endangered (checked in 2010)
The dangers they face
- Losing habitat.
- Pollution.
- New species that take over.
How people are helping
- A hatchery at Banham Zoo breeds crayfish with Norfolk Rivers Trust and releases them back into the wild.
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