When is a red claw not a red claw?

[Feral]

A few of you might remember this photo of a good sized redclaw my son brought back from the AFO Awoonga trip last year. It was caught by Brian right up the back in the Boyne river. [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/Awoonga.jpg

[Feral]

Well she moulted the other day, and guess what - she is not a red claw after all. Often female red claws dont show colour on the claws, and she was nearly black from the environment she had lived in, we all just assumed she was a redclaw because thats what every other one we caught was.

She is a genuine Blue claw, a native of Queensland and not a pest! (and huge for a blueclaw!)

She is brilliantly coloured now, the kids are very impressed! [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/P1060050.jpg

Post edited by: Feral, at: 2007/03/24 20:04

[Oztrav]

I guess a redclaw is not a redclaw when its caught in murky depths of the boyne

[Brian D]

Very cute.Can I have it back now?

[Feral]

Brian - only if you can take out the 3 lounge room terrorists that will be defending it!

[Brian D]

Keep it

[ellicat]

Feral,

It is a redclaw. I've been breeding them in tanks for years. The female doesn't have a red claw. Only the male has on the outside edge of each claw.

You will find the blues have much stubbier/chunkier claws. The redclaws' are more slender (as in your picture).

They are easy to breed by the way. Introduce a male and it will all happen. A good and interesting thing for the kids (big & small) to observe. The female carries a large cluster of eggs under the tail which eventually hatch. The babies then remain where the eggs were for about a month before dispersing.

Did you witness the shedding of the old shell ? Bloody amazing!

Post edited by: ellicat, at: 2007/04/17 18:18

[Feral]

Well there ya go!

NO did not see the shell being shed, just went in to feed her after work, and there was two of em!

[Cowfish13]

Yeah my brother has a native and it is alot chunkyier that that girl. In fact he's had it since easter 4 years back (we got it from leslie dam) and even when we got it, it was the biggest one we could catch. About 4 inches (not including the claws and that length is with the tail curled up, so it is a big yabbie, we're not going to eat it though, their too cool). It's shed it skin a few times so far. What do you feed yours, we feed ours live worms and little fish from the local creek.

[werewolf]

Wow that is really cool. It is like the discovery channel online:) Thanks for the info guys, otherwise I would've sided with Feral and called it for a Blue Claw!!!

[Feral]

Well she is not that fussed on raw meat, she will eat it.

Generally her favourite is roast chicken (which suprisingly enough was the bait Brian used to catch her), pork spare ribs, and turkey spam. She is also partial to a bit of rockmelon and watermelon. Chuck any of the above in the tank and she is on it like a long dog.

She also goes through a bit of Baroon Pocket weed!

Post edited by: Feral, at: 2007/03/28 22:42

[Brian D]

Roast Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Rock Melon, Watermelon - that's a better diet then mine -You sure she doesn't drink XXXXGold - she might be the perfect gal.

[ellicat]

Feral wrote:

Well she is not that fussed on raw meat, she will eat it.

Generally her favourite is roast chicken (which suprisingly enough was the bait Brian used to catch her), pork spare ribs, and turkey spam. She is also partial to a bit of rockmelon and watermelon. Chuck any of the above in the tank and she is on it like a long dog.

She also goes through a bit of Baroon Pocket weed!<br /><br />Post edited by: Feral, at: 2007/03/28 22:42

Try a knob of carrot. If you're real quiet you can hear them crunching on it.

When I had them in the TV room I swear I heard one say \"What's up Doc?\" (OK this bit's not true but the first part is :laugh: )