Recently, search & discover has had several enquiries about freshwater crabs found in inland New South Wales. They have been caught or observed in rivers, creeks and dams. A. transversa is widespread in the arid and semi-arid areas of Australia.
To escape the dry weather, these crabs construct burrows in clay soils which they sometimes seal with mud. The burrows are usually around 60 cm long and are found in areas which experience yearly flooding. The humid air trapped inside the burrows gives the crabs enough moisture to survive until wet weather returns.
A female freshwater crab lays her eggs at the end of spring. The eggs and the newly-hatched juvenile crabs are carried under her body. The eggs hatch in around December each year and the young remain with the mother for several days after hatching. In times of drought, she may carry them for several months, until there is enough moisture for them to move on to the next stage of their development.
In New South Wales, freshwater crabs are often found in the claypans of river floodplains after heavy rain.
August 2003
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