California woman goes to the pet store. Then worker talks her into adopting an unlikely animal: ‘Meet Wallace’
The most common pet in the United States is a dog. However, some people like to get a little more creative with their pet ownership.
Rather than adopt a cat or raise a hamster, there are a few people who opt for something a little more off-the-beaten-path. For example, there are countless historical examples of people having cheetahs and deer as personal companions. In the modern day, some have, for better or worse, decided to keep tigers as pets.
One woman recently visited a fish store just to “get a few more fish” for her pond. What she got instead was a creature she’s calling her new “best friend.”
What Kind Of Animal Did This Woman Adopt?
In a video with over 14,000 views, TikTok user Lacie Byron (@burrobabesfarm) shows herself in the front seat of her car.
“OK, so I just went into the fish store to get a few more fish for my pond, and I couldn’t resist,” she starts.
Reaching off camera, she retrieves a plastic bag. Upon showing it to the camera, it becomes clear that the bag is filled with water—and a live crawdad.
“Meet Wallace,” Byron states. “This is Wallace the crawdad.”
According to Byron, buying Wallace only cost her $3.
“He does really great in the pond. He eats algae and stuff,” she explains.
To close the video, she introduces the animal once more, this time as her “new friend.”
Do Crawdads Make Good Pets?
Immediately, commenters became concerned. Some commenters worried that the crawdad would eat her other fish, while others protested that the animal could damage her tank.
“Do your research on them before putting them in your pond,” advised a commenter. “They burrow and in some cases will make your dam leak.”
In response to this comment, Byron wrote, “My pond is a giant horse trough, so no leakage here. And I actually have a plant that he has completely burrowed in to hide for the winter lol.”
But are these concerns about crawdads valid?
Most crayfish, also called crawdads or crawfish, are omnivorous foragers. This means that they’ll eat many different things that come across their path. Occasionally, this includes small fish or fish eggs.
In a well-balanced pond ecosystem, this isn’t necessarily a problem. The crayfish can eat detritus and waste products, and larger fish can keep any potential overbreeding issues in check.
That said, if the pond is imbalanced, crayfish can overtake the fish population, or larger fish can consume the crawdads.
@burrobabesfarm Throwback to when the owner of the fish store convinced me to take home a crawdad for my pond ? and now he’s my best friend ❤️ Wallace.
♬ original sound – Lacie Byron?
Are There Other Potential Problems?
There are a few other issues that can come with raising crawdads as pets.
First, as mentioned above, crawdads love to burrow. Many internet users claim that this could result in the crawdad burrowing through one’s pond liner. However, real-world instances of this are hard to find. While technically possible, it’s not a major concern for potential crawdad owners.
What is a major concern, however, is the potential environmental impact of introducing crawdads to an unfamiliar area. There are hundreds of species of crayfish in North America alone. Introducing a new species to an unfamiliar area could cause them to breed and outcompete local wildlife.
Even if one believes they’re keeping their crawfish isolated, these animals can easily wriggle out of many tanks and containers. This is why most experts suggest only keeping crawdads that have been caught locally. Even if a crayfish has been caught in another part of the state, one should make absolutely certain that it is native to their region as well before keeping it as a pet.
For her part, Byron’s crawdad—or, to be specific, Wallace—seems to be doing just fine. In a follow-up video, Byron shows that Wallace is living well in his horse trough.
The Mary Sue reached out to Byron via email.
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