Christmas Island Crab Migration

Christmas island red crab migration.

Christmas island crab migration. Christmas island red crab breeding migration an eye catching book that superbly describes and illustrates with spectacular images one of nature s most amazing animal migrations. Their journey from forest to coast begins in the rainy season a. Red crab migration when where and why. Spawning the dropping of their eggs into the sea must occur before.

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. Every year tens of millions of christmas island s endemic red crabs travel from the rainforest to the shore and return on an annual breeding migration that is. The christmas island red crab gecarcoidea natalis is a species of land crab that is endemic to christmas island and cocos keeling islands in the indian ocean. 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.

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. Christmas island s mass red crab migration is one of the most incredible natural processes on earth. Ever year millions of red crabs migrate across christmas island in the indian ocean to mate. The red crab exhibits one of the most spectacular migrations on earth despite manmade obstacles.

Most of christmas island s adult red crabs begin their breeding migration to the sea as soon as the wet season rains have established. Gecarcoidea natalis pocock 1888 the christmas island red crab is by far the most obvious of the 14 species of land crabs found on christmas island. But we can never be sure when the wet season is going to begin. Discover crabs of christmas island in christmas island australia.

It is estimated that 40 50 million of these bright red land crabs live in their preferred shady sites all over the island.