Christmas Island Red Crab

Christmas island red crabs are famous throughout australia and the world for their bright red color and for their spectacular annual migration to the sea.

Christmas island red crab. Every year swarms of christmas island red crabs make their annual trek to the sea. The christmas island red crab is by far the most obvious of the 14 species of land crabs found on christmas island. Tied to the lunar calendar the massive migration usually begins during t. 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.

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. Christmas island s mass red crab migration is one of the most incredible natural processes on earth. But on its home turf it is a very significant species some 120 million individuals cover the rain forest. During migration red crabs climb over and around obstacles in their way following the same migration paths.

10 there are at least 50 species on the island some of them endemic 30 of them terrestrial species whose only link with the ocean is the necessity to travel to the sea to breed. It is estimated that 40 50 million of these bright red land crabs live in their preferred shady sites all over the island. 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.

Christmas island red crab rather than mammals it is crabs that dominate the fauna. It s a truly spectacular sight that world renowned naturalist sir david attenborough described as one of his greatest tv moments. The christmas island red crab gecarcoidea natalis is a land crab famous for its epic annual mass migration to the sea to spawn once numerous on christmas island crab numbers have been devastated by the accidental introduction of the yellow crazy ant.