The coconut crab used to be known as Cancer latro. Latro is latin for robber. It used to be found throughout the pacific where coconuts were found but because it is such a delicacy its range is restricted to areas where there is not many humans. Besides coconuts it also eats other crabs and any protein like dead animals. It is believed that Amelia Earhart's body most likely "disappeared" due to the feeding habits of this crab.
This land crab cannot exist in water longer than one hour, it will drown. But it lives in burrows, in trees and can weigh up to nine pounds. Beware of the pinchers because if they do latch upon you it will definitely hurt. (one method to force them to release you is to touch some of their soft spots.)
Their life cycle is not easy to follow. When in their early stage, they float around like plankton (very small and almost unseeable). Later they live their life like small hermit crabs. In time though they can have an arms/leg spread of three feet making them the largest land arthropod. Since they live up to 40 to 60 years and shed their shell I suppose even more giant crabs are possible.
I didn't know there is such a fruit known as Sea mangos (
Cerbera manghas)If a coconut crab eats this then it could be poisonous to humans.Since they live do live on land though it is not similar to prohibitions like mussels where the red tide could poison seafood. Coconut crabs are amazing though in their ability to penetrate the hard coconut shells. Fortunately for palm tree plantation owners coconuts is not their primary diet.
Comments (11)
Interesting info.
Do people eat them or are they just waiting for us to get stuck in the ocean near them like some kind of zombie crabs...hahahaha
@slinky - It is scarce because they are a delicacy. I suppose anyone willing to hazard getting pinched by these crabs would decide to eat them and not share them.
@RestlessButterfly - Of course inspired by your palm grub blog.@seedsower - More amazing is that these crabs could survive a 15 foot drop from a palm tree. We humans know how to penetrate coconuts.My life is now complete. Crabs Crabs Crabs.
@PPhilip - Gerr... arg ugh!
Somehow I have this feeling this post was inspired by Rez's post. Interesting post though. Good work.
Coconut crabs give me nightmares... Fascinating, but terrifying
Exotic crab.
9 pounds?!? OMG
If you don't eat it,it will eat you lol haahahahanever seen any of those before. and we have PLENTY of coconuts here in the tropical indonesia. are they to be found only at certain area of the world?