The Indian and Pacific coconut crab, also known as the robber crab and the terrestrial hermit crab, is the largest arthropod on Earth.
"Oh my God!" It was when Charles Darwin first saw the coconut crab with his own eyes, and it was the only word he could find (to describe the coconut crab).
Of course, anyone who has seen this animal will immediately judge that it is not an ordinary crustacean. As the largest land crab in the world, the size of the coconut crab alone is intimidating. It weighs up to 4 kilograms, stretches up to 1 meter long, and can carry a weight of 6 times more than its own weight, that is, 25 kilograms.
Back in Darwin's day, many of the ominous stories about coconut crabs look like this.
Some told stories of them climbing up a tree and dangling around the tree for hours, using only a pair of pliers to hold on. Others claim that their claws can pierce coconuts. Some people believe they can tear a person to pieces, one, one, one...
Darwin was always skeptical, but he didn't believe much of what he heard. But oddly enough, it's not really much of an exaggeration. Since then, we've found that every story about what coconut crabs can do is more or less true.
Why is coconut crab so powerful? Those who have been caught in coconut crabs say it hurts like "eternal hell."
The coconut crab, sometimes referred to as the robber crab, possesses powerful pliers, one of the most dangerous weapons in the animal kingdom. Experts say that this crab can be compared with the bite of a lion when it is clamped down. So there is no doubt that they can do something terrible with their paws.
But the good news for humans is that they don't usually attack us with their claws. As the name suggests, the main food source of coconut crab is coconut. Since most of these creatures live on islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, they can often easily find their favorite foods.
Still, it's a little disturbing to watch the coconut crab open the coconut with its bare paws. You'll be even more upset when you learn that coconuts aren't the only thing that can be torn apart.
As an omnivore, coconut crabs are happy to eat plants and animals. They are known to kill birds, feed on kittens, and tear open pig carcasses. Oddly enough, they are also known for cannibalism!
In short, there is almost nothing on the menu of robber crabs that cannot be eaten. They will even eat their own exoskeletons. Like most crabs, they shed exoskeletons to grow new exoskeletons. But when their old molted shell falls off, they don't leave it in the wild like other crabs. Instead, they ate them.
Thanks to their powerful pliers, these crustaceans can climb almost anything they see, from branches to fences. Although the coconut crab is heavy, it can indeed hang on an object for hours.
This is one of the main ways they get their food, especially their beloved coconut. By climbing to the top of the coconut tree and knocking off the fruit, they can enjoy a good meal after climbing down.
But as one might expect, they don't just climb trees to pick coconuts. They also climb branches to catch birds, attack them at the top of trees, and then drag them into the burrows where they live.
Can coconut crab be eaten?
This must be the most interesting thing for everyone, in fact, the size of the coconut crab means that this crustacean has a lot of meat, a lot of meat.
On some islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, these crabs are used as delicacies and sometimes even as an aphrodisiac. For centuries, many locals have loved to eat these crustaceans. Tourists on the island also like to try it. Even Charles Darwin once admitted that crabs were "delicious."
One way locals at Atafu Atoll prepare this crab is to collect a bunch of coconut leaves, place crustaceans on top of it, cover them with more leaves, and then light the whole pile of coconuts on fire. They are then placed on plates woven from more leaves and the crab's shells are knocked open with coconut to obtain the meat.
It is said that coconut crab tastes like "butter" and is sweet. Interestingly, the belly bag is reportedly the "best" part of the crab. For some, it tastes "a bit nutty," while others swear it tastes like peanut butter.
However, just because you can eat them doesn't necessarily mean you should. In recent years, overfishing and overfishing of coconut crabs has led to fears that they could be threatened or even endangered.
In addition, if coconut crabs feed on certain poisonous plants, it can be dangerous to eat some coconut crabs. Although most people have no problem eating crustaceans, coconut crab poisoning occurs from time to time.
Overall, from its massive stature to its formidable pliers, it is undoubtedly one of the most terrifying and unique creatures on earth.