The coconut crab is a species of terrestrial also known as the robber crab or palm thief. It is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper size limit for terrestrial animals with exoskeletons at current conditions during the Holocene, with a weight up to 4.1 kg. It can grow to up to 1 m in length from leg to leg.
Similar species: Decapods
By Ori Fragman Sapir
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Uploaded Sep 18, 2021. Captured Sep 18, 2021 20:37.
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"The coconut crab can take a coconut from the ground and cut it to a husk nut, take it with its claw, climb up a tree 10 m high and drop the husk nut, to access the coconut flesh inside. They often descend from the trees by falling, and can survive a fall of at least 4.5 m unhurt. Coconut crabs cut holes into coconuts with their strong claws and eat the contents, although it can take several days before the coconut is opened."
Amazing animal.
PS: can you please set the location? Posted 3 years ago
Meet the world’s largest land crustacean! The coconut crab (Birgus latro) can weigh up to 9 lbs and grow to a meter in length! They are an impressive sight!
Coconut crabs live on islands across the Indian Ocean and in parts of the Pacific. The adult crabs live almost exclusively on land, only returning to the water to release eggs. In fact, the adults will drown if they remain in the water.
Unsurprisingly, coconuts make up a good portion of their diet. The crabs climb coconut trees to knock the fruits off, and then crack them open using their massive claws. Anyone who has tried knows that cracking open a coconut takes a lot of effort. Luckily, coconut crabs have extraordinary strength. A coconut crab’s claws can lift objects as heavy as 61 lbs, and their grip is 10 times stronger than that of a human’s! They exert nearly 750 lbs of force with their claws, which makes them one of the strongest land animals! Their pinch rivals a lion’s bite!
Despite their penchant for coconuts, coconut crabs are generalist scavengers. They also eat carrion, crustaceans (including crabs), nuts, small mammals, and birds! They dispatch birds by breaking their wings and then tearing the flesh from their bones. Interestingly, some believe that coconut crabs dismembered and ate Amelia Earhart after she allegedly crashed on an uninhabited island. So, nothing is off the menu for the coconut crab.
These crabs do most of their hunting at night and rely on their keen sense of smell to locate food. Approximately 40% of a coconut crab’s brain is entirely dedicated to smell! This trait has aided them in developing thieving skills that have earned them the alternate moniker of “robber crabs”. They have been caught stealing items like boots, saucepans, and whiskey bottles from researchers…basically anything that they think smells “good”.
These powerful creatures have one predator – humans. The crabs have been extirpated from most areas with a significant human population due to overharvesting. Other dangers to coconut crabs are: climate change, which affects food supply and reproduction, and ocean acidification, which has hindered the ability of juvenile crabs to grow their exoskeletons. Consequently, the IUCN Red List considers coconut crabs to be a vulnerable species. {Spotted by Ori Fragman-Sapir in Tanzania} #JungleDragon #Coconutcrab #Birguslatro
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Posted 3 years ago