Article Summary
Posted by bio_man   Sep 10, 2018    1593 views

The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is a species of terrestrial hermit crabs that's known for the largest land-living arthropod in the world, weighing up to 4.1 kg (9.0 lb). It is found on islands across the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific Ocean, mirroring the distribution of the coconut palm. Like other hermit crabs, juvenile coconut crabs use empty gastropod shells for protection, but the adults develop a tough exoskeleton on their abdomen and stop carrying a shell.

Coconut crabs have evolved organs known as branchiostegal lungs, which are used instead of the vestigial gills for breathing. They cannot swim, and will drown if immersed in water for long. They have also developed an acute sense of smell, which has evolved convergently with that of insects, and which they use to find potential food sources. Sexual maturity is reached after about 5 years, and the total lifespan may be over 60 years.

Adult coconut crabs feed on fruits, nuts, seeds, and the pith of fallen trees, but will also eat carrion and other organic matter opportunistically. The species is popularly associated with the coconut, and has been widely reported to climb trees to pick coconuts, which it then opens to eat the flesh. While coconut crabs can climb trees, and can eventually open a coconut collectively, coconuts are not a significant part of their diet. Coconut crabs are hunted wherever they come into contact with humans, and are subject to legal protection in some areas.

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