Giant Coconut Crab
Monday, October 26, 2009
The coconut crab, Birgus latro, is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper limit of how bigterrestrial animals with exoskeletons can become in today’s atmosphere.
The species inhabits the coastal forest regions of manyIndo-Pacific islands, although localized extinction has occurred where the crab is sympatric with man. Generally nocturnal, they remain hidden during the day and emerge only on some nights to forage. Their body is divided into four regions; the cephalic lobe, forepart, trunk, and opisthosoma. It is a highly apomorphic hermit crab and is known for its ability to crack coconuts withits strong pincers to eat the contents. It is the only species ofthe genus Birgus.
The species inhabits the coastal forest regions of manyIndo-Pacific islands, although localized extinction has occurred where the crab is sympatric with man. Generally nocturnal, they remain hidden during the day and emerge only on some nights to forage. Their body is divided into four regions; the cephalic lobe, forepart, trunk, and opisthosoma. It is a highly apomorphic hermit crab and is known for its ability to crack coconuts withits strong pincers to eat the contents. It is the only species ofthe genus Birgus.
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