Procambarus liberorum

Procambarus liberorum is a species of crayfish in the family Cambaridae. It is endemic to the United States, where it occurs in Arkansas and Oklahoma. It is known commonly as the Osage burrowing crayfish.^[1]

Procambarus liberorum
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Decapoda
Suborder:	Pleocyemata
Family:	Cambaridae
Genus:	Procambarus
Species:	P. liberorum
Binomial name
Procambarus liberorum Fitzpatrick, 1978
Synonyms
Procambarus ferrugineus Hobbs & Robison, 1988

Distribution

In Arkansas, P. liberorum is found in the Boston Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, and Arkansas Valley, as far east as Lonoke County. It was discovered in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, in 2006.^[2]

Taxonomic history

Procambarus liberorum was originally described from three specimens caught by a cat in Bentonville, Arkansas.^[3]

The species Procambarus ferrugineus was considered to be an endangered species on the IUCN Red List, but it is now known to be identical to the widespread and secure P. liberorum,^[4] which is listed as a least-concern species.^[1]