If you think crocodiles looked fearsome, then wait until you get a hold of this coconut crab. In Australia, a country so notorious for its equally diverse and dangerous animals, a fearless tourist got hold of one of the scariest creatures you’ll ever see in your life.
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Birgus latro, scientific name of the gigantic coconut crab, holds the title as the world’s largest arthropod
Tourist Mark Pierrot, who was on a holiday in Christmas Island, a tropical paradise in the Indian Ocean, caught the gigantic crab
Pierrot was brave enough to pick up the crab, which could have easily cut his hands off. The alien-like crustacean is said to weigh up to 9 lbs and grow as big as 3 feet. It is mostly located around the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Christmas Island holds a population of more than a million coconut crabs and has attracted tourists who are curious to see these creatures in their natural habitat.
Contrary to what many people probably think, these crabs don’t feed on humans. The crabs are known to eat rats, fruits, seeds, carcasses, and as their name implies—coconuts.
The coconut crabs are also referred by the locals as “robber crabs” because they are drawn to objects. They move at surprisingly fast speed when stealing objects found on the ground and climb up trees with their new possessions. Legend has it, these crabs were even responsible for carrying out Amelia Earhart‘s remains after she disappeared while passing the Pacific Ocean.
But as scary as these “crabzillas” are, they don’t pose an actual threat against humans unless provoked. Sadly, other countries do not have the same protection of coconut crabs as other places do. They are hunted for meat after being notoriously known for their aphrodisiac effects.
