Czech environmentalists have discovered a rare species of prehistoric crab

Environmentalists have made a significant discovery near Vrchbělá in the Mladá Boleslav district: they found the rare summer crayfish in a pond. This crayfish species is highly endangered in the Czech Republic.

A Triops cancriformis was last sighted in the area around Vrchbělá 15 years ago. This prehistoric crayfish species can only be found in a few places in the Czech Republic, mainly on former military sites, as Milada Vrbová from the Klenice Nature Conservation Association told the ČTK press agency. “The find is still fresh. On Sunday, we discovered the summer crayfish while checking a pond that does not dry out and is therefore an important habitat for living organisms. It is remarkable that we came across this animal at the end of October, as it is usually only found until the end of August or the beginning of September,” said Vrbová.

The eggs of the summer crayfish can survive in dry conditions for up to 20 years. When fully grown, this crab can reach a size of over ten centimetres and looks like a trilobite. Its main diet consists of algae and organic material, but also small invertebrates.

Environmentalist Vrbová emphasised that this discovery underlines the importance of the area, which has never been polluted by chemicals. In September, while creating new ponds on the former military site in Vrchbělá, they came across another special animal species, a gill-footed fish. Last year, the conservationists also discovered an endangered orchid species, the bee orchid.

Český svaz ochránců přírody Klenice, Mladá Boleslav

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Sladjan Lazic

Sladjan ist Triops-Züchter und Gründer von Triops Galaxy. Im Jahr 2020 hat er seine Leidenschaft für Urzeitkrebse entdeckt und züchtet seitdem diese faszinierenden Urzeitwesen in heimischer Zucht.

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