Christmas Island Coconut Crab Migration

It s a truly spectacular sight that world renowned naturalist sir david attenborough described as one of his greatest tv moments.

Christmas island coconut crab migration. Mark pierrot australian mark pierrot poses with a massive coconut crab on christmas island. The coconut crab birgus latro is a species of terrestrial hermit crab also known as the robber crab or palm thief it is the largest land living arthropod in the world with a weight up to 4 1 kg 9 0 lb. A s the rainy season descends upon the beaches of christmas island in the indian ocean resident red crabs realise that it s time to emerge from their forest burrows and begin a mass migration to the beach. Ever year millions of red crabs migrate across christmas island in the indian ocean to mate.

It is estimated that 40 50 million of these bright red land crabs live in their preferred shady sites all over the island. It is found on islands across the indian ocean and parts of the pacific ocean as far east as the gambier. Christmas island s mass red crab migration is one of the most incredible natural processes on earth. Tens of millions of red crabs live on christmas island a small australian territory near indonesia.

Although restricted to a relatively small area an estimated 43 7 million adult red crabs once lived on christmas island alone but the accidental introduction of the yellow crazy ant is believed to have killed about 10 15 million. Their journey from forest to coast begins in the rainy season a. The christmas island red crab gecarcoidea natalis makes an impressive annual migration across christmas island an island named for the day it was discovered in 1643 read more about the great migration. Typically occurring in october or november the.

You ve heard of king crabs now meet the mighty coconut crab. An australian man fearlessly posed with one of the massive critters going so far as to raise it up in the air after stumbling upon a cluster of them on christmas island in the indian ocean. Flooding the island s roads and paths a cascade of crimson crustaceans march in their millions to congregate on the shore to mate. Every year millions of these large crabs emerge from the forest and make their way to the ocean to breed swarming across roads streams rocks and beaches.

Click on the tabs below for more information about the christmas island red crabs. Each year in sync with the lunar phases they migrate e. It sounds like the stuff of horror films but it s actually just the annual migration of the red crab a natural phenomenon that earns christmas island a spot on many travelers bucket lists.