Fauna
Invertebrate

Coconut Crab

Birgus latro

Also known as Robber Crab

The Coconut Crab is the largest land-living arthropod, with a heavy armored body and powerful claws. Adults forage mostly at night and shelter in burrows or rock crevices during the day.

Land CrabNocturnal ForagerPowerful Claws
Coconut Crab reference
(c) David Stanley, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
—observations
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VulnerableConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXVulnerableRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySmall crabs, Carrion
Predators
  • Humans
  • Feral pigs
  • Monitor lizards
ThreatsHarvest, road mortality, habitat loss, and invasive predators
HabitatsCoastal forest, limestone terrain, burrows, and island scrub
Life spanMay live 40 to 60 years
Classification
  1. FamilyCoenobitidae
  2. SpeciesBirgus latro
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Powerful claws can crush fingers; keep hands, food, and equipment well away.
Why it is dangerous
The exceptionally strong claws can grip, cut, and crush tissue when a crab feels threatened.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Look for a very large terrestrial hermit crab with a hardened abdomen and massive unequal claws.
What to do
Do not touch, feed, lift, or corner the crab; leave a clear retreat path.
What to notice
Record the large hardened land crab from a distance without exposing its daytime refuge.
Support conservation
Do not collect, feed, relocate, or disclose precise burrow locations in vulnerable areas.
Responsible observation
  • Night: Search quietly with a dim light and keep distance.
  • Shelter: Never pull a crab from a burrow or crevice.
Related species

Related species have not been added yet.

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