Christmas Island red crab
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Crustacea Class: Malacostraca Order: Decapoda Suborder: Pleocyemata Infraorder: Brachyura Superfamily: Grapsoidea Family: Gecarcinidae Genus: Gecarcoidea Species: G. natalis
Binomial name
Gecarcoidea natalis Pocock, 1888

The Christmas Island red crab (Gecarcoidea natalis) is a species of terrestrial crab endemic to both the Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. Although restricted to a relatively small area, it is estimated that up to 120 million red crabs may live there, making it the most abundant of the 14 terrestrial crab species on Christmas Island [1]. Christmas Island red crabs eat mostly fallen leaves and flowers, but will occasionally eat other animals, including other red crabs (see cannibalism), if the opportunity arises. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (924x825, 208 KB) Photo taken by Rebecca Dominguez on Christmas Island, January 2006. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Animalia redirects here. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Classes & Subclasses Branchiopoda Phyllopoda Sarsostraca Remipedia Cephalocarida Maxillopoda Thecostraca Tantulocarida Branchiura Pentastomida Mystacocarida Copepoda Ostracoda Myodocopa Podocopa Malacostraca Phyllocarida Hoplocarida Eumalacostraca The crustaceans (Crustacea) are a large group of arthropods, comprising approximately 52,000 described species [1], and are usually treated as a subphylum [2].They include various familiar animals... Subclasses Eumalacostraca Hoplocarida Phyllocarida See text for orders. ... Suborders Dendrobranchiata Pleocyemata See text for superfamilies. ... Infraorders Caridea Stenopodidea Reptantia, divided into: Polychelida Achelata Glypheoidea Astacidea Thalassinidea Anomala Brachyura Pleocyemata is a sub-order of decapod crustaceans, erected by Martin Burkenroad in 1963. ... Superfamilies Dromiacea Homolodromioidea Dromioidea Homoloidea Eubrachyura Raninoidea Cyclodorippoidea Dorippoidea Calappoidea Leucosioidea Majoidea Hymenosomatoidea Parthenopoidea Retroplumoidea Cancroidea Portunoidea Bythograeoidea Xanthoidea Bellioidea Potamoidea Pseudothelphusoidea Gecarcinucoidea Cryptochiroidea Pinnotheroidea * Ocypodoidea * Grapsoidea * An asterisk (*) marks the crabs included in the clade Thoracotremata. ... Families Gecarcinidae Glyptograpsidae Grapsidae Plagusiidae Sesarmidae Varunidae Grapsoidea is a superfamily of crabs. ... Species Gecarcoidea lalandii Gecarcoidea natalis Gecarcoidea is genus of terrestrial crabs. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Reginald Innes Pocock sucks!!! Partial bibliography Reginald I. Pocock (1902) Reginald Innes Pocock (1902) Reginald Innes Pocock (1900) The Fauna of British India (including Ceylon and Burma). ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... Animal environments are classified as either aquatic (water), terrestrial (land), or amphibious (water and land). ... Superfamilies Dromiacea Homolodromioidea Dromioidea Homoloidea Eubrachyura Raninoidea Cyclodorippoidea Dorippoidea Calappoidea Leucosioidea Majoidea Hymenosomatoidea Parthenopoidea Retroplumoidea Cancroidea Portunoidea Bythograeoidea Xanthoidea Bellioidea Potamoidea Pseudothelphusoidea Gecarcinucoidea Cryptochiroidea Pinnotheroidea * Ocypodoidea * Grapsoidea * An asterisk (*) marks the crabs included in the clade Thoracotremata. ... The leaves of a Beech tree A leaf with laminar structure and pinnate venation In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. ... A Phalaenopsis flower A flower, (<Old French flo(u)r<Latin florem<flos), also known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also called angiosperms). ... This article is about eating ones own species. ...

The carapace is up to 116 mm long, 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. During that time, it will be the smaller of the two. The male crabs are generally larger than the females, while adult females have a much broader abdomen and usually have smaller claws. The broader abdomen of the female Christmas Island red crab only becomes apparent in the third year of growth. They live in burrows, in order to shelter from the sun. Since they still breathe through gills, the possibility of drying out is a great danger for them. The term carapace refers to a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell, in a number of animal groups. ... In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ... There is a suggestion that the words Bunny and Burrow have a common origin and meaning, French in origin appearing in Britain afetr the Norman conquest. ... gills of a Smooth Newt Gills inside of a tuna head In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ...

Christmas Island red crabs are famous for their annual migration to the sea in order to lay their eggs in the ocean. During the migration, the crabs cover the routes to the coast so densely that they can be seen from the air. Volunteers shovel the crabs off the roads and, although no harm is intended, some of the countless millions of crabs inevitably get injured. In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... Oceans (from Okeanos in Greek) are saline waters that cover almost three quarters (71%) of the surface of the Earth. ...

External links

• Christmas Island National Park Website
• 3 minute TV clip showing crabs migrating through a town