I have found this brightly colored crustacean while visiting both southern Nevada and southern California.
The Lousiana Swamp Crayfish is found in rivers, bayous, swamps, ditches, ponds, lakes, and rice fields throughout the southcentral United States and northeastern Mexico. It seems to prefer flooded wetland habitats with periodically flowing, well-oxygenated water. This species retreats into burrows when surface water dries up.
This creature is a physical ecosystem engineer, constructing burrows consisting of a single opening, which may be covered with a mud plug or raised above ground level in the form of a chimney to reduce evaporative loss further from the water’s edge. The opening leads to a tunnel which widens to an enlarged chamber at the end.
Crayfish are opportunistic omnivores. They can detect small amounts of blood and decomposition scents in the water to track down and feed on partially decomposed plant material, living soft plants, and virtually any type of animal matter.
The Lousiana Swamp Crayfish is a very successful invasive species. Not only can it be found in many parts of the United States where it is not native, but can also be found in inland waters on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. In the United States it is readily available though the biological supply trade and specimens and is sometimes released following classroom or laboratory use. It is also popular among anglers as bait for Largemouth Bass.
Part of the reason it is now found in other countries is importation for crayfish farming. Eating freshwater crayfish is common in many countries. The first known introductions of this species took place in the 1920s: 1924 in California and 1927 in the Hawaiian Islands, 1927 in Japan, and 1929 in China. In the mid-1960s, a batch of crayfish was sent to Uganda and Kenya, and soon afterwards, to other African countries.
The life cycle of the Louisiana Swamp Crayfish is relatively short, with an onset of sexual maturity occurring in as few as two months and a total generation time of four and a half months. Although they look attractive (for a crustacean), this species competes aggressively with native crayfish species for food and habitat.