A Catalogue of Useless Facts

Coconut Crabs

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Coconut Crabs
- biology -

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The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is the largest known land-dwelling crustacean and arthropod, reaching weights of up to four kilograms (~9 lbs., roughly as much as an adult housecat) and legspans of about a meter (~3.3 feet).

Coconut crabs are a variety of hermit crab, though they only rely on scavenged shells until their own exoskeleton matures and hardens. Also, unlike other hermit crab species, adult coconut crabs are incapable of living underwater, as their land-adapted gills are susceptible to drowning.

As its name suggests, a major food source for a coconut crab is coconuts. Though the crab prefers fallen coconuts, it is perfectly capable of climbing palm trees to harvest them fresh. If a coconut remains unbroken after a fall, the crab can still crack shells by using one of the strongest proportional grips in nature.

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Sources ▼

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​https://www.arkive.org/coconut-crab/birgus-latro/
https://www.livescience.com/56980-coconut-crab-has-strongest-pinch.html