Australian land hermit crab facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Australian land hermit crab
Scientific classification

The Australian land hermit crab (Coenobita variabilis) is a terrestrial hermit crab species, native to Australia. It is a nocturnal, omnivorous crustacean. They are gregarious and thrive in tropical areas near water.

Distribution

The Australian land hermit crab is endemic to northern parts of Australia including northern Western Australia, Northern Territory and northern Queensland.

Biology

The Australian land hermit crab (Coenobita variabilis) reaches a carapace length of 40 millimetres (1.6 in). They closely resemble the Pacific hermit crab (Coenobita compressus) in appearance and they both have a shortened aquatic development stage.

Australian land hermit crabs are light brown to pale brown in colour, with two dark ovals on the front of the head. Their eyestalks are long and are the same colour as the body. Each claw has a dark vertical stripe. They have dark brown spots all over the legs. The abdomen is short and fat.

Images for kids

• 

  Photo of a Coenobita variabilis land hermit crab from Australia.