Coconut crab

I should watch the inauguration today I did not get a chance to  yesterday. Things kept coming up and then work.

Art

goal for the week still 17.5 hours

today 

sand boxes

Animal

Photo by FearlessRich

The coconut crab or robber crab (Birgus latro) is the largest land living arthropod it inhabits many of the islands between Asia and Australia. Coconut crabs can have a leg span of over 3 feet and can weigh over nine pounds they have been known to live up to thirty years. They are very similar to hermit crabs and the juveniles will live in shells in the same manner until they exceed a certain size. They breathe with a spongy lung-like organ called a branchiostegal lung which must be kept wet they also have vestigial gills but will actually drown if submerged in water to long. True to their name the adults can open and eat coconuts as well as many other things such as fruit, nuts, and small animals. The some of Chamorro associate them with Taotaomona (ancestor spirits from before recorded history) and believe the Taotaomona can inhabit the crabs. The crabs are eaten by people however some crabs become extremely poisonous after eating the roots certain plants one of these plants is believed to be piratea (Ceodos umbraculifer) the toxin is similar to that found in fugu.