Coconut Crab

The coconut crab is a giant crab that lives on warm, sandy islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the largest crab in the world that lives on land, and it is so big that its legs can stretch almost a whole metre from tip to tip. A grown-up coconut crab can weigh about as much as a pet cat.

Unlike most crabs, the coconut crab spends its life on land instead of in the sea. It digs cosy burrows in the sand or hides among rocks and tree roots to stay cool during the hot day. When the sun goes down, it comes out to explore and look for food.

Coconut crabs are wonderful climbers. Using their strong, pointed legs, they can climb tree trunks to reach food or escape danger. They got their name from living near coconut palms on tropical islands, even though coconuts are not their main everyday meal.

The coconut crab has enormous, powerful claws, called pincers. It uses them to tear into fruit, nuts, and other tough snacks it finds on the ground. Coconut crabs also eat seeds, fallen plant pith, and bits of other animals they find, so they are handy tidy-uppers of the island.

Coconut crabs grow very slowly and can live for a surprisingly long time, so their numbers drop if too many are taken. On some islands there are now rules about how many people may catch, and special protected areas where the crabs can live safely. These help make sure the world’s biggest land crab keeps climbing the palm trees for a long time to come.