- Rock crawlers are only found in the Northern hemisphere with locations ranging from the United States and Canada to Japan and Siberia. They prefer higher elevations, most commonly found between 656 and 10,499 feet. They are usually found in mixed forests, above the point which trees can grow, usually near snowfields.
- Rock crawlers live in higher elevations because they prefer colder temperatures. They are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night and hide during the day, especially if the temperature reaches above freezing. They cannot survive if the temperature exceeds 82 degrees Fahrenheit; however, they also cannot survive for long periods in freezing temperatures. Because of these temperature regulations, rock crawlers are known as secretive animals, usually hiding in rocks, crevices and other dark, moist environments.
- Rock crawlers use their mouthparts and antennae, which are filled with sensory hairs, to detect prey on the surface of snow and rocks. Living on a diet of primarily the soft tissues of insects and spiders, they obtain prey either by capturing it or finding it already dead. Their most common prey includes snow flies, a small, wingless fly that prefers the same climate as rock crawlers. Larvae may also eat parts of plants or plant tissue found in the soil.
- Rock crawlers are usually found alone, but they can also be found in sexual pairs. Courtship usually takes place in the moist, dark environments preferred by rock crawlers and consists of leg nibbling and antenna rubbing.
- Once the mating has taken place, females can lay anywhere from 60 to 150 eggs in the soil, decayed wood or under rocks. The eggs usually hatch within 150 days but can take up to three years, depending on weather conditions. The larvae can live up to six months without food. Little is known about the rock crawler maturation cycle, but it is thought to take up to five years for a nymph to mature into an adult.
