Coconut crab facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coconut crab |
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| Conservation status | |
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Birgus
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| Species: |
B. latro
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| Binomial name | |
| Birgus latro Linnaeus, 1767
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| Coconut crabs occur on most coasts in the blue area | |
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Burgus latro (lapsus) |
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The Coconut Crab (Birgus latro) is a very large type of hermit crab that lives on land. It's also known as the robber crab or palm thief. This amazing creature is the biggest land-living arthropod (a group of animals with exoskeletons, like insects and spiders) in the world! It can weigh up to 4.1 kilograms and stretch up to 1 meter from leg to leg. You can find these crabs on islands in the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific Ocean. They often live where coconut palm trees grow. Sadly, they have disappeared from many places where lots of people live, like mainland Australia and Madagascar.
Adult coconut crabs mostly eat fruits, nuts, seeds, and the soft inside (pith) of fallen trees. But they will also eat dead animals or other organic matter if they find it. They are called "Robber crabs" because they might pick up and carry away anything left on the ground that looks like food! Even though they are linked to coconut palms, coconuts are not their main food. These crabs live in burrows, but they have been filmed climbing coconut and pandanus trees. They climb trees to escape from dangers like large birds (when they are young) or even bigger, older crabs (at any age).
Where Do Coconut Crabs Live?
Coconut crabs live on islands in the Indian Ocean and the central Pacific Ocean. Their homes are usually found in the same areas where coconut palm trees grow. Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean has the largest number of coconut crabs in the world. You can also find many large groups of them on the Cook Islands, especially on places like Pukapuka, Suwarrow, Mangaia, Takutea, Mauke, Atiu, and Palmerston Island.
Images for kids
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An old drawing of a coconut crab from 1849.
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A coconut crab on a coconut.
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Coconut crabs come in different sizes and colors.
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See also
In Spanish: Cangrejo de los cocoteros para niños
