Coconut Crab

Overview of the animal is indeed a bit frightening, especially for a phobia of arthropod. However, actually coconut crab is very exotic and captivating animal. Its claw can peel coconut skins that you already know that skin consists of a stack of coconut fiber that is very thick.

Animals that have a Latin name Birgus latro can be found in the areas from the Indian to the central Pacific Ocean. Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean has the largest and best-preserved population in the world. Other Indian Ocean populations exist on the Seychelles, especially Aldabra, the Glorioso Islands, Astove Island, Assumption Island and Cosmoledo, but the coconut crab is extinct on the central islands. They are also known on several of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal. Large numbers roam freely in the British-owned Chagos Archipelago, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territories (BIOT). They are protected on these islands from being hunted and/or eaten, with fines of up to 1,500 British pounds (roughly $3,000 USD) per crab consumed. On Mauritius and Rodrigues, they are extinct.

Been reported that the animal is able to achieve weight 4 kg and has a body length of up to 40 cm and foot expanse around 200 cm. male coconut crab has larger body than female coconut crab. Front legs have a pair of tweezers for coconut husk, and claw (chelae) can lift objects up to 29 kg . Next two pairs of legs, as in the other hermit crab, is running a big foot and strong of possible Coconut crab swarm the tree (often coconut) vertically at up to 6 m. Pair to four feet with a small claw-like tweezers on the tip, allows young crab hold on the skin or coconut shell coconut slug for shelter; adult animals using this pair legs to walk and swarm. The last leg pair is very small and is only used to clean the respiratory organ.

you need to know that the coconut crab can not swim, except when he was still a larvae. the smallest coconut crab will be sink if put in the water.

Coconut crab food consists mainly of fruits, including coconut. However, they will eat almost all organic, such as leaves, rotten fruit, eggs, turtle, died animals, and the body shell of another animal, be trusted to provide the calcium. They may also eat live animals that are too slow to flee, as the new turtle hatch. Coconut crab often try to steal food from the crab and other food will be dragged to their hiding place to eat safely. There is typical way to take the coconut crab, crab throw the coconuts to the ground when trying to open the fruit in a tree. Coconut crab make a hole in the coconut with a strong tweezers, ago they eat the contents; behavior is unique in the world of animals.

Coconut crab with the size and strength to create fear that has a special place in cultural communities where there is a coconut crab. Coconut crab be admired because of strength, and said that the village people use animals to keep their coconut plant . Coconut crab may attack humans when threatened. Crab that has not fully grown, is also sold as pets, for example in Tokyo. Its cage must be strong enough that coconut crab can not use its tweezers to escape. When someone get squeezed by Coconut crab tweezers , the squeezed not only pain but also strong. Thomas Hale Streets reported the following trick, which is used by the Mikronesa people, in the Line Islands, in order to loosen the Coconut crab squeezed.

It may be interesting to know that in such a dilemma a gentle titillation of the under soft parts of the body with any light material will cause the crab to lose its hold.

truly incredible animal :)