Portal:Oceania/Selected article/November, 2007

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world. It is a derived hermit crab and is known for its ability to crack coconuts with its strong pincers in order to eat the contents. Coconut crabs live in areas throughout the Indian and western Pacific oceans.

Reports about the size of Birgus latro vary, and most references give a weight of up to 4 kg (9 lb), a body length of up to 400 mm (16 in), and a leg span of around 1 m (3 ft), with males generally being larger than females. Some reports claim weights up to 17 kg and a body length of 1 m.

The diet of coconut crabs consists primarily of fruit, including coconuts and figs. However, they will eat nearly anything organic, including leaves, rotten fruit, tortoise eggs, dead animals, and the shells of other animals. They may also eat live animals that are too slow to escape, such as freshly hatched sea turtles. One crab was observed catching and eating a Polynesian rat.