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What Varmints Eat Crawfish?

Crawfish are one of the most common freshwater crustaceans in the world. Resembling small lobster or crabs, they are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. Crawfish aquaculture is the largest freshwater farming industry in the United States. But crawfish also thrive on their own in the wild. Many animals prey upon the crawfish in a natural setting as part of their diet. Crawfish are hunted by birds, mammals, reptiles and fish.

Salamanders
- Some salamanders eat young crawfish.
  
  Some species of salamander eat crawfish. The Mudpuppy is a salamander with gills that lives under rocks in a stream or river. As crawfish also live under rocks, the Mudpuppy has become one of their major predators. They typically hunt smaller, young crawfish. Hellbenders are another species of salamander that hunt crawfish. The Hellbender has a very large mouth and hunts crawfish (and other Hellbenders) as its primary source of food. Some snakes that live near water also feed on crawfish when the snakes are able.
Fish
- More than one species of bass hunt crawfish.
  
  Some species of fish who live in the same streams as crawfish also hunt them. Crawfish may make up to 80 percent of the diet of a smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass are so numerous that they are most likely the largest predator of crawfish in North America. Another fish, the rock bass, lives around the rocks in streams where crawfish live and often hunt them.
Birds
- Some owls will wade into water to catch a crawfish.
  
  Owls are an opportunistic predator that will eat whatever they can successfully hunt. The Blakiston's fish owl will perch at the edge of a stream or creek to hunt crawfish. Some other owl species have even been known to wade into the water after a crawfish meal. With its long legs, the great blue heron will often wade through marshy or swampy areas in search of crawfish.
Mammals
- A raccoon will eat crawfish whenever it can.
  
  Perhaps the best known land animal that hunts crawfish is the raccoon. As an omnivore and scavenger, a raccoon will hunt just about anything it can catch, including small crustaceans in streams. The mink is also a very active crawfish hunter, making the fish a major part of its diet. The muskrat, which is hunted by the mink, is also an occasional crawfish hunter.

Animals & Science