It is clear that the bulk of freshwater
crayfish species do require some form of
shelter (Hogger 1988). Many species satisfy
this demand by burrowing into the soil substrate
where they live, sometimes formingvery intricate burrows (Horwitz and Richardson
1986; Hogger 1988) from which
they rarely, or only seasonally emerge. Other
non-burrowing species will utilize rocks,
gravel or vegetation to obtain shelter (Mason
1978; Hogger 1988; Eversole and Foltz
1993; Foster 1993). It has been suggested
that these habitat preferences provide shelter
for the crayfish during periods of vulnerability
when moulting, protect against
predation, and minimize aggressive interactions.