Coconut Crab

giant crabs · island creatures · arthropods

Biggest land arthropod. The coconut crab is the largest arthropod that lives on land, weighing up to 4.1 kg (about 9 pounds). That makes it heavier than a bowling ball.

Legs as wide as a meter. From the tip of one leg to the tip of the opposite leg, a coconut crab can stretch about 1 meter (3 feet) across. Imagine a creature as wide as a yardstick.

Cracks open coconuts. The coconut crab earned its name because it uses its incredibly strong claws to crack open coconut shells and eat the meat inside. Its alternate name, the robber crab, comes from this thief-like behavior of stealing and cracking coconuts.

Island hopper. Coconut crabs live on islands scattered across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Zanzibar near Africa all the way to the Pitcairn Islands near South America. However, they have disappeared from most places where many humans live, like mainland Australia and Madagascar.

Hermit crab relative. The coconut crab is actually a giant hermit crab, which means it's related to the small hermit crabs you might see at the beach. Unlike most hermit crabs, adult coconut crabs don't carry shells on their backs anymore.