Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Crabs on the move

The hermit crabs are invading!
The hermit crabs are invading!

OK, well maybe they're just migrating. This video of Caribbean hermit crabs, or soldier crabs, (Coenobita clypeatus) was taken at Nanny Point on St. John Island (U.S. Virgin Islands). Not too much is written about this amazing migration, but these gals are all headed towards the beach to release their babies. We've seen this before with the red crab migration on Christmas Island, although I find this movement pretty impressive when considering the added weight of the hermit crabs' protective shells. They can move between 170 to 300 meters per day!

phew!

Have you witnessed this migration in person? If not, a trip to St. John Island next August doesn't sound too bad. Just make sure to take plenty of pictures and send them my way!

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