Facts About Christmas Island red crab
The Christmas Island red crab is a distinctive terrestrial crab species found exclusively on Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean. Tragically, their populations have suffered a significant decline due to the inadvertent introduction of the yellow crazy ant, which has decimated millions of these crabs. Nevertheless, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has yet to formally evaluate their conservation status.
These crabs are visually striking, typically exhibiting a bright red coloration, though some individuals display orange or purple hues. They exhibit intriguing behaviors, such as burrowing to maintain moisture and undertaking an annual migration to the coast for breeding. During the breeding season, males dig burrows for mating with females, who subsequently release their eggs into the ocean. The larvae undergo several developmental stages before returning to land as juvenile crabs.
Christmas Island red crabs exhibit flexible dietary habits, consuming fallen leaves, fruits, flowers, seedlings, carrion, and even human refuse. However, they face substantial threats from the invasive yellow crazy ant, which has severely diminished their numbers. Additional predators, such as coconut crabs, also threaten their survival.
To facilitate the crabs' annual migration, particularly when crossing roads, park rangers install barriers and construct crab bridges to mitigate vehicle-related fatalities. The residents of Christmas Island have also become more considerate of the crabs during this period, leading to a reduction in the number of crabs killed annually.