Trivia question for Jun-04-2011

Olivia saw these huge guys and decided she did not want to ever go camping on a beach.  She still decided to feature these guys for her trivia.  These guys spend the majority of their life on land, often climbing trees in search of tropical fruit.

The species inhabits the coastal forest regions of many Indo-Pacific islands, although localized extinction has occurred where the species lives close to humans. They are generally nocturnal and remain hidden during the day, emerging only on some nights to forage.  These crabs, especially if it is not yet fully grown, are also sold as a pet, for example, in Tokyo. The cage must be strong enough that the animal cannot use its powerful claws to escape. Should one of these guys pinch a person, it will not only cause pain, but is unlikely to release its grip.

So here are Olivia’s questions:  Tell us what kind of crab this is and tell us what is special about how they climb up and down trees.  Also, tell us how global warming can cause these crabs to become extinct from certain portions of their range.

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to Derek for getting the trivia correct.  The crab we featured is the Coconut Crab.  The coconut crab is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper size limit of terrestrial animals with exoskeletons in today’s atmosphere. It is also known as the robber crab or palm thief, because some coconut crabs are rumored to steal shiny items such as pots and silverware from houses and tents.

This crab climbs up a tree head-first, but clambers back down rear-first.  It can also walk backward, as well as sideways on the ground.  Global warming is reportedly responsible for a significant raise in sea level.  If this continues, it could cause many low lying coral atolls to become permanently submerged essentially wiping-out the species in this range.  Here is more on these giant crabs: Coconut Crab

Thanks for playing along 😉