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68 REPRODUCTION Little is known about the reproduction of the Prairie crayfish. We have to rely on the collections of various life stages for clues. One study found young-of-the-year in pools away from burrows in April. In July they noted burrowing next to ponds and streams with juveniles present through August. A female with eggs was collected on 17 July while Form I males were seen from July through October. 112 In the courtship of the Prairie crayfish, the male approaches a female and assumes a threat posture. If the female becomes submissive or avoids him, he assumes a courtship posture. In this posture, his body and tail are held up and horizontal, the fingers are spread and the claws are flexed and held vertically so the female can see the tops of the chelae. He then approaches the female from the side, turns her over and mounts her. 94 In Missouri, females leave their burrows in February and March to release their young into nearby creeks and ponds. Juveniles could be collected in April and May. 221 Form I males were collected in traps set at burrow entrances in June suggesting increased breeding activity. Juveniles were collected in late October, March, April, May and June which indicates an extended reproductive period. 188 In Kansas, females had young attached in early spring but none were found with eggs. 247 The proportion of Form I males in collections is usually very low. In Illinois, 101 collections had only five Form I males while there were no females with eggs or young. The Form I males were found in June, July and October. Juveniles (<10 mm CL) were collected as early as late February and as late as early October. 180 In Iowa, juveniles were most often found in May and June but in one year numerous small specimens (<10 cm carapace length) were seen in late September. This suggested that they had hatched in August at the beginning of an unusual rainy period. 189 As noted earlier, I have collected juveniles on 16 May and 5 June. Mature males were collected on 1 May and 5 May. PRODUCTION AND GROWTH There is nothing in the literature on growth rates or production of the Prairie crayfish other than the Prairie crayfish tends to be smaller than other crayfish with the largest being 82 mm total length. 221 In Illinois, length frequency graphs were used to estimate that males