The Land Crabs of Christmas Island

The land crabs of Christmas Island are remarkable for their abundance and the role they play in the ecology of the island's rainforest. Christmas Island is home to twenty-three land or freshwater crabs.

Australia Post issued the fauna stamp set for their territory , Christmas Island, on June 7, 2011 and features the specific species the Land Crabs which available in Christmas Island. The issue comprises of 4 postage stamps which depicted   Red crab (Gecarcoidea natalis),  Robber crab (Birgus latro), Jackson's crab (Karstarma jacksoni), and Blue crab (Discoplax hirtipes) .

Red crab  or Gecarcoidea natalis, is a species of land crab that is endemic to Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Its carapace is up to 116 mm wide, rounded, and encloses the gills. The claws are usually of equal size, unless one becomes injured or detached, in which case the limb will regenerate.The male crabs are generally larger than the females, while adult females have a much broader abdomen (only apparent above 3 years of age) and usually have smaller claws.

Coconut Crab 0f Pitcairn Islands

Pitcairn Islands Post same as Vanuatu Post has issued the stamp series featured the specific crab, Coconut Crab, Birgus Latro. But the issuance scene are different.

The Coconut Crab or Birgus latro is a fascinating creature that found on Henderson Island and possibly on Oeno and Ducie. It has an extremely drawn out life cycle which causes the species to re-populate slowly.

The Pacific crab population has declined throughout its developmental range due to habitat depletion, being collected for food and from introduced animal enemies such as pigs.

With rapidly declining Coconut Crab numbers, many Pacific countries have implemented bans on the collection of the world’s largest crustacean. The slow life cycle has resulted in laws aimed at protecting females of egg-bearing age.

Technorati Tags: Coconut Crab,Pitcairn Islands,Birgus latro

Coconut Crabs of Vanuatu

The Coconut crab ( Birgus latro) is the largest land-living arthropod in the world. The species inhabits the coastal forest regions of many Indo-Pacific islands. Generally nocturnal, they remain hidden during the day and emerge only on some nights to forage.They can weigh nearly 9 pounds and live 60 years.

This enormous crab has developed much to adapt to its conditions: climbing skills to fetch food from tree tops; digging skills to burrow underground and into tree trunks to hide; gills to survive in water, or to drink a little saltwater to maintain its body salt.

The life cycle of the Coconut Crab (Birgus latro) is extremely drawn out which causes the species to re-populate slowly. Phase one sees the female crabs travel to the coast to spawn. Four to five larval stages follow, taking 28 days in the ocean, after which the developing crab spends a further 28 days on the ocean floor. The next stage is to come ashore and find an empty shell to hide in. They remain in this temporary housing for 1-2 years and then travel inland where they tunnel underground to a depth of 50mm. In yet another home, the exoskeleton becomes brittle and is discarded and the crab becomes immobile. The crab then eats its old shell to re-absorb minerals while a new shell develops over a 4-week period. The crab can then finally leave its burrow but reproduction cannot occur until they mature between 3.5 and 5 years.

They are herbivorous feeding mainly on dry coconut flesh (by cracking open coconut shells with their powerful claws), dead fruits and leaf but have also been observed eating dead animal carcasses.

The crab population has shrunk throughout its range due to habitat depletion, collecting for food and by introduced animal enemies such as pigs. With rapidly declining Coconut Crab numbers, Vanuatu has implemented a 3-year ban in certain parts of the Republic, on the collection of the world’s largest crustacean. The slow life cycle resulted in an Act aimed at protecting females of egg-bearing age, by prohibiting the collection of any crab whose body is less than 9cm. In length. These actions will hopefully rejuvenate a resource that has become one of the symbols of the nation.

The gathering of Coconut Crabs is not illegal but there is a quota allocation and closed seasons which everyone is asked to obey. Coconut crab populations in several areas have declined or become extinct due to both habitat loss and human predation.It is a worldwide protected species according to the IUCN Invertebrate Red Data Book.

Vanuatu Post is proud to support the efforts being made to ensure the long-term survival of the Coconut Crab in Vanuatu and releases this stamp issue to help raise awareness of this conservation initiative.