Protocol Overview

1. Select a good fieldsite to monitor for mitten crabs.
   1. In the fall, while adults are moving downstream to reproduce, focus on downstream rivers and at the mouth of estuaries.
   2. In the spring, while juveniles are migrating, check the banks of freshwater streams and rivers.
2. Look carefully for evidence of mitten crabs, including crab shell, flat burrows in the banks of rivers and streams, and quick movements in leaf litter along the edge of the water.
3. If you think you found a mitten crab, collect photo evidence to support your identification.
4. Do NOT return the crab to its environment. Instead, freeze or submerge it in alcohol to preserve it. You may be asked to send in the specimen.

Resources:

• Mitten Crab Detailed Protocol
• Mitten Crab species ID card