- Who
- Robber Crab
- Where
- Not Applicable ()
- When
The heaviest (and largest) land-living crustacean is the robber or coconut crab (Birgus latro), which lives on tropical islands and atolls in the Indo-Pacific.
Weights of up to 4.1 kg (9 lb) – the average weight is around 2.5 kg (5 lb 8 oz) – and a leg span of up to 1 m (39 in) – the average leg-span is 91 cm (36 in) – have been recorded.
The robber crab is almost entirely terrestrial (although females have to return to the sea to release their eggs) and drowns when submerged in water for any length of time. It feeds mainly on rotting coconuts on the ground, but will eat a variety of other food if coconuts are not available.
It has been hunted almost to extinction on many islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, because of its sheer size and the fact that it is apparently good to eat.
