OUR CUTE LITTLE VISITOR MR. LAND CRAB | And interesting facts about land crabs

zachaizelle0813 (46)in #blog • 6 years ago (edited)

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Hi guys! It's been awhile since my last post.

So, today I will be sharing with you guys a little commotion in Bayside office.

Just this morning we had a little visitor MR. LAND CRAB!!! At first i did not know that there was a crab inside the office. And suddenly, our HR Staff screamed that there was a crab under her desk and i was distracted by her while doing my task. I was curious and checked if there is really a crab.Then, I saw Mr. Crab!!!
I was mesmerized because it was my first time to saw that kind of crab.Its kinda weird when i said it was my first time but honestly that was true i only knew red crabs.
The one that i saw was called "kayabang" here in Philippines.

Kayabang (Cardisoma hirtipes) live back in the coastal coconut groves, digging large holes like earthworm casts it helps to circulate and aerate the soil.

Once a month, at full moon dozens of kayabang come out of the coconuts and head straight to the beach to mate and lay their eggs. They march purposefully in an almost straight line often through the town.

Their claws are roughly equal size, but still just as vicious, and they are fiercely defensive.

Did you know?

Land crabs are slow growing and long lived. The
largest individuals may be more than 40 years old!

Land crabs have to shed their shells in order to
grow. They moult in burrows for safety and then eat
the discarded shell to conserve calcium!

Land crabs can deliberately shed and regrow limbs
— a process known as ‘autotomy’. However, the
regeneration takes time and requires a clean break.
If a claw is forcibly removed the crab will likely die
from fluid loss.

Land crabs have gills like other crabs that have
become specially adapted for breathing in air. They
quickly drown if they are submerged in water.

Female land crabs can lay as many as 100,000 eggs
in one year!

In philippines we have quite different land crabs. They are true crabs that have taken to living on land, or at least halfway between land and sea.

They have all managed the transition between water and air breathing, although often in quite different ways. This is a fairly momentous step for a mere crustacean.

Reminder to all stemians according to Mr. Ramon Ma. Epino not all crabs are created for sumptuous dining. A number of them are very deadly so beware! and there are several species of poisonous crabs (of the alimasag varieties) dangerously lurk in Philippine seas.
For more information about poisonous crabs you can check this link below. http://www.philstar.com/agriculture/147730/beware-killer-crabs

REFERENCE
http://www.ascension-island.gov.ac/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AI-Landcrabs-DL-AW.pdf
http://www.philstar.com/agriculture/147730/beware-killer-crabs