Where do crayfish winter?

How many different entertainments are there in the children's time? Great variety. Each of them is remembered with great pleasure, and some grow into serious hobbies. A good example of this is fishing and hunting for crayfish. The hours spent on the bank of the river with a fishing rod and a jar of worms, bring great pleasure to children. But I was more interested in arthropods, so I was worried about where the crabs are hibernating.

For a long time, I tormented this issue of parents and all their friends. This continued until I addressed him to my grandfather. It was he who told me not only about where the crabs winter, but also many interesting facts related to them.

Crustaceans live only in water bodies with fresh and pure water. They have long become a kind of "litmus test" for determining the degree of environmental pollution. Therefore, their presence in any pond or river with running water indicates a favorable environmental situation.

River crayfish are a favorite treat for both children and adults. After wandering along the river and catching a whole bucket, the boys rush to build a small fire and weld them right on the beach. Adults prefer to cook cancers at home and serve them to beer.

From the story of my grandfather, I learned that the crabs live in deep burrows along the shore. Their refuge is very similar to our apartments. A long corridor, reaching three meters, and several rooms. In the largest cell the "bedroom" is equipped, and several side "rooms" are designed to store stocks.

Although crayfish eat mostly vegetable food, they do not mind eating various bugs and worms. To search for food away from the burrows do not depart. And if you are caught in a certain place of this arthropod, you can always come here. There is a lair somewhere nearby.

Where do crayfish winter? In these "apartments." Sometimes a large number of residents are crowded into the far chamber, and at the same time it is possible to collect about half the bucket. Catching crayfish in winter is quite difficult. Not knowing the specific location of their home, it is very difficult to get a catch. Therefore, "fish places" should be looked after in the warm season.

It is not difficult to find them in the summer. Noticing one cancer in the water, carefully inspect the bottom and shore in a radius of 3-5 meters. When digging strokes and holes with the help of claws, the cancer pulls the ground to the entrance and puts it around. The presence of small piles of earth, forming a kind of ring, is a sign of the den.

In summer you can catch both the female and the male. Distinguishing them is very simple. Who is in front of you, tell the color of the shell. Males are green, and females are light blue. In the winter, you can catch only the fair sex. What is the reason for this? With breeding offspring.

The marital period of cancers is in October. For two weeks, active mating occurs, after which the males climb into the mink and hibernate. The female first lays a hundred eggs, which are located on the abdominal legs, and only then goes to the place where the crabs winter.

Young offspring appears only in May. But for the entire period of turning caviar into crustaceans, my mother must go out several times to walk along the bottom of the snow-covered river. This contributes to the full development of offspring. At this point, you can catch crayfish without destroying the mink. But in this case caviar will die, and even knee-deep in the icy water, searching for a treat for the table is not particularly comfortable.

In the old days winter catching crayfish was a very cruel punishment for serfs. After several hours spent in the icy river, the peasant became ill with pneumonia or died from hypothermia. By sending the guilty to such an execution for the smallest fault, the landowner had a dish of boiled crayfish on the table, but in most cases the worker was deprived.