We heard you wanted to see a picture of a simply gigantic crab. So here it is.
The Coconut Crab (Birgus latro) is the world’s biggest land-living arthropod. It lives in the eastern Pacific region, and, as the name suggests, can crack open and eat coconuts. Actually it will eat all sorts of things; but luckily for us, rarely if ever does it eat live animals.
Thats so awesome!!!! I almost want one as a pet now or at least see it in person. Also wonder what it would taste one.
It is highly likely the pic was taken on Christmas Island. Blue coconut crabs there are plentiful and protected.
The crabs are very clever. They can easily peel the husk off a coconut but cannot break the inner hard shell. To do this they learn to carry the husked coconut up a coconut tree and drop it onto a rocky surface where it will shatter.
That’s amazing, but also kinda scary! Are there any reports of it attacking people or animals?
Can you keep them as pets? how long do they live and has anyone had their head clamped down and eatten? Thats a whole lota crab.
Can you tell me where was this picture taken? and did you capture this crab or was this a pet you raised?
It’s raiding the bin – smash and crab, perhaps?
Wow, that’s really big is there an average measurement? love the blog!
The Ranger responds: Reports about the size of Birgus latro vary, but most references give a body length of up to 40 cm (16 in), a weight of up to 9 lb (4.1 kg), and a leg span of more than 3 ft (0.91 m), with males generally being larger than females. It is believed that this is near the theoretical limit for a terrestrial arthropod. That’s a big crab.
Cor! That’s a lot of thermidor!
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