Abstract
A coconut crab has been spotted hunting and devouring a seabird. It is the first time coconut crabs have been seen actively hunting large animals, and suggests they rule their island homes. Coconut crabs (Birgus latro), or robber crabs; are imposing. They can weigh up to 4 kilograms, as much as a house cat, and sport legs that span almost a metre. This makes them the largest invertebrates--animals without backbones--on land. The crabs live on coral atolls in the tropical Indian and Pacific oceans. Between January and March 2016, Mark Laidre of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire visited the Chagos Archipelago, a remote series of atolls in the Indian Ocean. Chagos is ideal for studying coconut crabs: it is in pristine condition, is surrounded by one of the largest marine reserves on earth and has lots of coconut crabs, making them easier to find and observe.
Published Version
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