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Friday, May 30, 2008

Ten Times Worse Than Clawglip

A few facts about the coconut crab (a species that I feel too few people know about) followed by a few pictures of said species. Unlike that Mae West post, these are completely for real.

From the coconut crab's Wikipedia entry:
  • The coconut crab is the largest living arthropod, a biological phylum that includes insects and arachnids in addition to crustaceans.
  • Its leg span can reach 6.5 feet across.
  • On one occasion, the coconut crab was observed to eat a rat.
  • Its German name — Palmendieb, means "palm thief" — comes from the animal's ability to tear open the extremely tough shell of the coconut. (What such pincers could do to your relatively thin hide is better left to your imagination). The coconut crab climbs up palm tree trunks — meaning that they can appear at eye level, horrifyingly — and then attempts cut into the coconut while it's on the tree, often causing the fruit to fall to the ground. (People used to think they purposely knocked coconuts off trees, but they've apparently since realized that they're too dumb to make that kind of agenda.)
And with this in mind, observe these photos of the coconut crab in action.

from flickr user fearlessRich

from flickr user AnnaPang03

from flickr user salpet

You're most likely to run into one of these monsters on Christmas Island than anywhere else, but report back with nightmares nonetheless.

5 comments:

  1. DEVELOPING / DEVELOPING / DEVELOPING

    Dateline, Andaman Islands, India: Was Mae West just a coco crab in a platinum blonde wig? Details to follow.

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  2. Even more frightening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bathynomus_giganteus.jpg

    I think its main food group is souls.

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  3. Ai ya. It looks like an giant, evil rolly-polly.

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  4. They taste MIGHTY fine :D

    Though we tied one up outside (ready to eat the next day) and it escaped and climbed up the netting outside our bedroom. IT WAS TRYInG TO GET US.

    I was so bloody scared of these, even when all trussed up. Their claws are ridiculously strong.

    ( http://frolickingthroughlife.blogspot.com/2007/12/solomon-island-food-2.html )

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