Virile or Northern Crayfish

We found this poor dying northern crayfish (also known as the virile crayfish - Orconectes virilis) washed up on a beach in our lake. It looked so perfect and beautiful, but alas, it didn't make it. 


Spectacular pincers with orange tips!


It was a little smelly, so I tried drying it out using salt. I left it out on my deck during this 'process,' in the hopes I could keep the chitinous skeleton in my treasure collection. But no! After maybe a week of being outside, not smelling, and looking better than ever, it disappeared off my deck, probably taken by a raccoon.