Details
Birgus latro
The coconut crab is a very large land crab of Indian and Pacific islands. It is an omnivore that ranges alone through coastal forest and shore habitats.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It uses rocky coasts, sandy ground, and coastal forest. Larvae develop in the sea, but adults live mostly on land in burrows and root tangles.
Its spread is about 40-100 cm, and weight about 1-4.1 kg. Powerful claws and a hard exoskeleton define the adult, which no longer carries a shell.
It is solitary and treated here as diurnal. It follows odors to food and can climb trees or rough trunks when moving through its island habitat.
It is omnivorous, eating fruit, seeds, and animal matter found on the ground. Strong claws let it handle tough husks and hard food items.
Females carry eggs to the sea and release larvae into the water. Young crabs later return to land and gradually become fully terrestrial.
Its conservation status is VU. Local harvest pressure and changes to island habitats are important concerns in many parts of its range.
