Oklahoma Cave Crayfish (Cambarus tartarus)
(State-listed as Endangered)
Description:
This is a small, colorless/white crayfish with a relatively
slender body and thin pinchers and legs. It feeds on detritus –
decaying organic material such as leaves.
Habitat: The Oklahoma Cave Crayfish occurs in subterranean
pools, streams and passage ways associated with a shallow ground
water aquifer and a few caves.
Current and Historic Distribution: This species is found only in
the shallow groundwater aquifer underneath portions of the
Spavinaw and Saline Creek watersheds in southern Delaware
County. Within this range, it has been found in subterranean
pools and streams in only three caves. Because of its
subterranean habitat, the exact limits of its range are poorly
known, but it is not known to occur in any other state or
county. Its current distribution appears to be the same as its
historic range.
Reasons for Decline: The Oklahoma Cave Crayfish is listed as an
endangered species because its geographic range is extremely
small and it is vulnerable to groundwater pollution or
alteration in a relatively limited area.
County by County List of Endangered and Threatened Species
US Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species Lists