Crab thief. Palm thief, or coconut crayfish

Animals such as the coconut crab are a rarity in our nature. Another name for this creature is the palm thief. Why was it named like that?

These representatives of higher crayfish can be found on islands located in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, in the tropics.

The crab got its name "palm thief" for the habit of dragging everything it sees into its hole - a kind of "Plyushkin" among animals.

The appearance of this "claw-legged" creature is by no means attractive: it is very large and even scary! Anyway, let's take a closer look at it...

Appearance of a coconut crab

The animal grows to a very decent size: the body length of a palm thief can reach 35 centimeters, and its weight is about 4 kilograms.

The two front legs are equipped with claws and perform protective and grasping functions. With the help of such a device, the animal can easily crack the shell of nuts, such as coconuts.

This representative of crustaceans has another amazing ability: it has lungs, so it adapts to life on land and can do without water for a long time. But, it should be noted, when this "crab" becomes an adult, he does not need water at all, so his gills cease to function.

How does the palm thief live in the wild, and what does he eat?

These animals have a well-developed sense of smell, the coconut crab can smell the smell of food for several kilometers!

The main activity of the palm thief falls on the dark time of the day. It is at night that they come out in search of food. During the daytime, these crayfish hide in their shelter. It is a hole lined with fibers from the surface of the coconut shell.

The palm thief has an excellent ability to climb trees, especially palm trees. They can be found on a tree trunk at a height of six meters!

The nature of palm thieves is not very friendly, which makes them outcasts. But they don't really need everyone's attention!

The food of these animals consists of the pulp of coconuts, for which they were called coconut crabs. When the crab is in its teens, it lives in the water and feeds on small crustaceans and organic matter that it finds in the ground.

Reproduction of the palm thief

The mating season for these animals begins in July and ends in September. The fertilized female lays eggs and carries them on her belly until maturation. Then he leaves them in the water.

The larvae are free-swimming for about 30 days, and then they begin to seek shelter, which is most often the shell of a nut or a shell of a mollusk.

Crayfish live in the house until they have their own shell. But the process of growing up does not end there. Next comes the molt. The body of the coconut crab is slightly modified and here it is. Finally, he becomes completely similar to the adult representative of the palm thief.

Palm thief or coconut crab (lat. Birgus latro) is actually not a crab at all, despite its striking resemblance to the arthropod relative mentioned in the name. This is a land hermit crab belonging to the species of decapods.

Strictly speaking, it is also a stretch to call a palm thief a land animal, since part of his life passes in the sea, and even tiny crustaceans are born in the water column. Newborn babies with a defenseless soft abdominal cavity are busily crawling along the bottom of the reservoir in search of a reliable house, which can serve as a nut shell, and an empty shell of a mollusk.

Later, having got out on land, they use ground shells and move with such a protective shell until the abdomen acquires the necessary degree of hardness. The next stage of growing up is molting, during which the palm thief repeatedly changes its shell. In the final stage of the formation of the external appearance of cancer, its tail is hidden under the abdomen, thereby protecting the body from possible damage.

How do crayfish manage to exist equally comfortably both in water and on land? It turns out that wise nature provided them with two breathing instruments at once: lungs, ventilated by air on the surface of the earth, and gills, allowing them to breathe underwater. But over time, the second organ loses its functions, and palm thieves have to completely switch to a terrestrial lifestyle.

Those wishing to meet such a miracle would have to go to the tropics - coconut crabs are found on the islands of the Indian Ocean and on some western Pacific islands. It is not easy to see them in daylight: palm thieves are nocturnal, and in sunny time they hide in rock crevices or in sandy burrows lined with coconut fibers - this helps to maintain the required level of humidity in the home.

And in general, it is worth thinking carefully before undertaking such a trip: the view of land hermits is quite frightening - the body of crayfish reaches 40 cm in length and such individuals weigh about 4 kg. But not only the dimensions of the palm thief inspire fear - these "centipedes" are distinguished by extraordinary strength.

And although the version that the crayfish can crack a coconut with its front claws failed miserably, its limbs, nevertheless, are sufficiently developed to quickly climb a palm tree trunk or bite off a person’s finger phalanx. And cancer is really not indifferent to coconuts: nutritious pulp is the main dish in its menu, to which it owes its “coconut” name.

Sometimes the diet of crayfish is enriched with pandan fruits, and according to some sources, palm thieves happen to eat their own kind. A hungry crayfish accurately finds the nearest "restaurant": an excellent sense of smell serves as an internal navigator, which brings it to the source of food, even if it is many kilometers away.

As for the “thieves' status” of cancer, this is due to its uncontrollable desire to pull into its mink all sorts of things from the category of the one that lies badly - edible and not very.

Coconut crab meat is not only among the delicacies, but also belongs to aphrodisiacs, so these arthropods are actively hunted. In order to prevent their complete extinction, some countries have established severe restrictions on the capture of coconut crabs.

The palm thief crab (lat. Birgus latro) belongs to the Coenobitidae family. This representative of the superfamily Hermit crabs (Paguroidae) lives on the tropical islands of the Indo-Pacific region.

It is also known as coconut crab. The crustaceans got their name because of their addiction to the fruits of the coconut palm.

Back in the 19th century, they led a diurnal lifestyle, but when first the Europeans, and then the natives began to massively catch them for meat, the ten-legged intellectuals quickly reorganized.

Now they show activity exclusively at night and try to show themselves to people as little as possible. Having harbored resentment for the eaten relatives in their souls, vengeful crabs are increasingly visiting a person’s dwelling and dragging food supplies, dishes, bottles and other trifles from there.

Palm thieves live in rocky lagoons and on sandy, bushy land areas. In their habitats, plants bear fruit all year round, so crabs do not experience a lack of food.

Unfortunately, pigs and rats brought to the islands are happy to eat them, so in many regions their population is constantly declining. These crabs, unlike other related species, use empty shells only in the early stages of their development.

The palm thief has lost the ability to stay under water for a long time and has become a land creature that can even drown.

It breathes with highly modified gills. On the inner walls of the gill cavities, folds of skin saturated with blood vessels appeared, which perform the function of a respiratory organ.

In order for the coconut crab to breathe atmospheric air, the cavities must always be moist. He regularly wets them with special feathery processes located on the hind limbs.

Having got out of the sea, the palm thief firmly settled on land. The solid size of the body physically does not allow him to live in a shell. Fortunately, a very durable chitinous shell allows you to do just fine without it.

Food

During the day, the crab hides in a rocky crevice or in a mink dug under the bushes. Closer to midnight, he leaves the shelter and goes to fish. With the help of strong walking legs, he easily climbs the highest trees in search of food.

His favorite treats are coconuts and sugar palm fruits. Only one hardworking crab will climb a tree, as a whole horde of relatives gather below, eager to feast on freebies.

To get to the sweet and fragrant pulp of the nut, it must be broken. Not having the strength to split the hard shell with its claws, the coconut crab drops the fruit down. When falling, the nut cracks, and the lucky man climbs down from the palm tree and starts a well-deserved meal, unless, of course, the hungry relatives have time to eat everything before he arrives.

In addition to fragrant fruits, palm thieves love all kinds of carrion.

As soon as they catch the smell of rotting meat, they rush to the feast with all their might. They eat with appetite both rotten fish and their dead relatives.

The crab tries to drag large prey into the hole, and eats small prey on the spot. To quench his thirst, he plunges the claw into a puddle of fresh water, and then brings it to his mouth and drinks the dripping drops.

Very violent fights often break out between crabs, and many of the participants in the battle return to their holes without claws or other limbs.

They shed from time to time. The molt lasts about 30 days and all this time the animal sits in a shelter. After molting, it immediately eats its carapace so that valuable reserves of calcium and vitamins do not go to waste.

reproduction

After laying several hundred eggs, the female carries them on the underside of her abdomen during the entire incubation period. When the time comes for the larvae to hatch, the female goes to sea and leaves her clutch there. This usually happens during good weather and high tide. She constantly clings to the shore so that she is not washed away by the wave and carried away far into the sea.

The larvae that are born swim freely in the midst of plankton. On the 28th day of life, the surviving larvae sink to the bottom and, after molting, turn into small crabs that live in the water for a whole month, hiding in mollusk shells. As they grow older, they move to land, not parting with their portable houses.

Grown up individuals move into the halves of the coconut shell, becoming the prey of lizards and monkeys during this period.

Only after a few molts does the carapace become so hard that young crabs can do without improvised protective equipment. Strong strong claws are able to repulse any aggressor.

The palm thief crab has phenomenal physical strength. He effortlessly can budge objects weighing up to 28 kg. It grows very slowly, but all its life.

Description

The body length of adults reaches 30-45 cm with a weight of 3-4 kg. The color is dominated by red, orange, blue and purple colors, forming rather intricate patterns.

The abdomen is covered with a shell and bent under the cephalothorax. Walking legs are long and very strong. Claws thickened and massive. The fused head and chest are covered with a strong shell. Long antennae serve as sensitive organs of smell. Red eyes are located on short stalks.

The exact lifespan of palm thief crabs in natural conditions is still unknown.

Seeing this amazing arthropod, every faint of heart will shudder with horror and surprise - after all, there is no one in the world more interesting and, at the same time, more terrible than a coconut crab. In any case, among arthropods - after all, he is rightfully considered their largest representative.

1. The coconut crab has many other "names" such as the thief crab or the palm thief - after all, this strange arthropod really steals its prey. Travelers of past centuries, who visited the islands spread in the West Pacific Ocean and in the Indian Ocean, talk about the fact that the coconut crab hides from prying eyes in the dense greenery of palm trees in order to suddenly grab its prey lying right under a tree or nearby From him.

2. Coconut crab (lat. Birgus latro) is actually not a crab at all, despite its striking resemblance to the arthropod relative mentioned in the name. This is a land hermit crab belonging to the species of decapods.

Strictly speaking, it is also a stretch to call a palm thief a land arthropod, since part of its life passes in the sea, and even tiny crustaceans are born in the water column. Newborn babies with a defenseless soft abdominal cavity are busily crawling along the bottom of the reservoir in search of a reliable house, which can serve as a nut shell, and an empty shell of a mollusk.

3. In "childhood" birgus latro is not too different from a hermit crab: he drags his shell along with him and spends almost all the time in the water. But having once left the larval state and left the water, he is no longer able to return there, and at some point even carry a shell-house behind him. Unlike the abdomens of hermit crabs, its abdomen is not an Achilles' heel and gradually hardens, and the tail curls under the body, protecting the body from cuts. Thanks to special lungs, he begins to breathe out of the water.

In truth, most of the legends noted this particular feature of it - the first Europeans who arrived on the islands described coconut crabs as creatures hiding in the foliage of trees with long claws that unexpectedly stretched to the very ground and captured prey, up to sheep and goats. Scientists have confirmed that birgus latro has great strength and can lift up to 30 kg of weight. However, they found out that the crab uses its abilities to drag cargo from place to place, preferring to eat dead animals, crabs and fallen fruit.

4. How do crayfish manage to exist equally comfortably both in water and on land? It turns out that wise nature provided them with two breathing instruments at once: lungs, ventilated by air on the surface of the earth, and gills, allowing them to breathe underwater. But over time, the second organ loses its functions, and palm thieves have to completely switch to a terrestrial lifestyle.

5. Those wishing to meet such a miracle would have to go to the tropics - coconut crabs are found on the islands of the Indian Ocean and on some Western Pacific islands. It is not easy to see them in daylight: palm thieves are nocturnal, and in sunny time they hide in rock crevices or in sandy burrows lined with coconut fibers - this helps to maintain the required level of humidity in the home.

6. And although the version that the crayfish is able to crack a coconut with its front claws failed miserably, its limbs, nevertheless, are sufficiently developed to quickly climb the trunk of a palm tree or bite off a person’s finger phalanx. And cancer is really not indifferent to coconuts: nutritious pulp is the main dish in its menu, to which it owes its “coconut” name.

7. Sometimes the diet of crayfish is enriched with the fruits of pandans, and according to some sources, palm thieves happen to eat their own kind. A hungry crayfish accurately finds the nearest "restaurant": an excellent sense of smell serves as an internal navigator, which brings it to the source of food, even if it is many kilometers away.

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Palm thief finger in the mouth, or rather in the claw, do not put, bite off. This is true. It is one of the largest arthropods in the world and its powerful pincers can crush small bones with ease.

These crayfish are common in the tropics on the islands of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

Adults can reach a length of 35 centimeters and weigh 4 kilograms. Their main weapon is the front pair of walking legs - claws. With them, they are able to crush and break coconut shells or small bones. The fourth and fifth pair of legs are very poorly developed.

Palm thieves have an excellent sense of smell. They have bristles and hairs of various lengths. These are tactile receptors. Other crabs do not have such organs. Thanks to this sense of smell, crabs can smell food from several kilometers away.

Eyes

They have lungs that allow the crab to breathe on land. During their development in the water, only their gills function. But as they grow older and go to land, they stop working, which does not allow the crab to breathe underwater.

Adults feed on the pulp of coconuts, for which they received their second name - coconut crab. Young people prefer small crustaceans, the fruits of the Pandanus plant and soil organic matter.

These crayfish are most active at night. They are not friendly in nature.

They live in small sandy burrows, the walls of which are covered with coconut fibers. Sometimes they settle in rock crevices, cavities in drained coral reefs. They climb trees well and can climb palm trees to a height of up to 6 meters.

Their breeding season lasts from July to September. Male courtship can be long and tedious. The female carries the fertilized eggs on her abdomen. After maturation, she leaves them in the water. There, the larvae live for about a month, and then go in search of a shell - a "house". Most often, its role is played by a shell or nut shell. During this period of life, they are very similar to hermit crabs. Young crabs wear their house until their abdominal cavity begins to gradually become hard. Then comes the molting period, during which the cancer sheds its shell several times. After that, its back and abdomen become hard, and the tail curls under the body, protecting the body from cuts.

He received his title of thief for dragging everything that is poorly hidden into his mink. It's not just food, but all sorts of shiny objects.

Their meat is a well-known delicacy and is considered an aphrodisiac. This leads to a decrease in its numbers and forces the authorities of some countries to establish restrictions on its capture. So on the island of Saipan it is forbidden to catch crayfish with a shell size of less than 3.5 centimeters and during the breeding season. And in Papua New Guinea, it is forbidden to include its meat in the restaurant menu.