They are a big crab. Coconut crabs take an extremely long time to grow big—they can live more than 40 years—and introduced predators such as rats can harm smaller, younger individuals or those in … https://www.foxnews.com/science/florida-land-crabs-invasion-home-video Moon crabs live on land but always near water. Horseshoe crabs use the telson to flip themselves over if they happen to be pushed on their backs. Fiddler crabs might do fine housed in freshwater for a few weeks, but eventually, they will become weak and die if they don't get a tank with brackish water. The spider crab resides in the waters surrounding Japan, and it has the longest leg-span of all the arthropods. At up to 1 m (3 ft) long, coconut crabs are not simply the largest land crabs. Harvest, possession, purchase or sale of eggbearing blue land crabs is prohibited. This is a land hermit crab and will actually die if submerged in the water. There is a closed season on them to protect them during their spawning season. All are decapod crustaceans (order Decapoda, class Crustacea).Adult coconut crabs are about 1 metre (40 inches) from leg tip to leg tip and weigh about 4.5 kg (10 pounds). Native to islands in the Indian and southern Pacific oceans, are truly … Hermit crab has an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years in the captivity. Nowadays it seems they are being hunted by rats, which have been introduced to some of their islands. There are several observations of coconut crabs eating rats. Hermit crab "migrates" from one shell to another as it grows (each new shell is bigger than the previous one). At up to 1 m (3 ft) long, coconut crabs are not simply the largest land crabs. a coconut (Credit: Jon Slayer), View image of Coconut crabs can live for 50 years or more (Credit: Jon Slayer), View image of Heather Koldewey with a coconut crab (Credit: Jon Slayer), View image of Tiny islands and atolls in the Chagos Archipelago (Credit: Rohan Holt), the first survey of coconut crab populations, View image of A coconut crab chowing down on a rat (Credit: Charles Sheppard), View image of Team member Peter Carr holding a coconut crab (Credit: Heather Koldewey). The spider crab resides in the waters surrounding Japan, and it has the longest leg-span of all the arthropods. Size Hermit crab species come in a range of sizes, from a fraction of an inch (a few millimeters) to nearly the size of a coconut. Actually classified as a shore crab, however, it is less likely than the other genera to go on land. Blue Crabs in the Gulf Aside from their ecological importance, blue crabs are one of the most economically important fisheries of the Gulf. 620 S. Meridian St. • Tallahassee, FL • (850) 488-4676 They can measure 6 inches across, and weigh more than a pound. These crabs are a delicacy and therefore are subjected to the fishery. Coconut crab populations have never been properly surveyed, so we do not know how many there are or if they are in danger. And those vexatious rats may also be on the way out. Juveniles typically molt about 20 times before reaching maturity. View image of A coconut crab, perhaps contemplating a spot of tree-climbing (Credit: Jon Slayer), View image of The eyes of a coconut thief (Credit: Jon Slayer), View image of North Brother, one of the islands in the Chagos Archipelago (Credit: Jon Slayer), View image of A coconut crab, tucking into (what else?) Moon crabs hunt and forage at night, and they are buried or hiding during the day. They occur in tropical America, West Africa, and the Indo-Pacific region.All species feed on both animal and plant tissue. "The average width is around 5 1/2 inches," says van Montfrans. The Birgus latro or coconut crab can grow to be up to 5 kg heavy (11 pounds), and can grow to be up to 1 meter in length from leg to leg. On small islands with little vegetation, the rats seem to hunt coconut crabs more, probably because there isn't much else to eat. As you can imagine, raising a successful brood of baby red claw crabs is almost impossible in a man-made tank setup. In the Chagos at least, the crabs should be relatively safe. They require access to both fresh and saltwater pools that are big enough to climb in and out of but not deep enough for them to drown — these crabs do not swim. Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. "Historically, these crabs were hunted by people but not for several decades," says Heather Koldewey of the Zoological Society of London in the UK. Michelle on September 12, 2009: It's too early to say how the crabs are doing, Koldewey says. It can grow to up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length from each tip to tip of the leg. It does seem that rats are a problem on some islands. At a mall one weekend, I came upon a store that was selling hermit crabs and decided that one of these little creatures would be the perfect companion for my dorm room! However the crab might be exceptionally big in size, it may have flesh on its claw portion as well you should check it once before discarding. Despite their size, little is known about the state of their populations. Coconut crab, (Birgus latro), also called robber crab, large nocturnal land crab of the southwest Pacific and Indian oceans. 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