Help in ID

[stix]

Anyone can help in ID these crabs? Thanks in advance!

[Qxnviolet]

HeyHey, cute crabs....think they are called coconut crabs? Saw them at pasir ris earlier this week, super cute....

[stix]

Wah, they died yesterday! No idea why.. 1 of them missing a leg, could it be because of pistol shrimp?

[veliferium]

saw them at reborn b4,think sift thru sand to search for food..

[FuEl]

Those are soldier crabs, commonly found along intertidal regions. If I'm not wrong they are more efficient extracting oxygen from air. During high tide their burrows actually trap an air pocket that provides them with enough oxygen till the next low tide. So I think they actually drowned. The same goes with land hermits that are kept submerged for long periods of time. It's sad to see such animals in retail shops fully submerged in water. If they are not bought they will most certainly die within a couple of hours.

[spaceman]

Hi Fuel, thanks for the info. now i know why my soldier crab also die within 2 days.... now feeling guilty....

[FuEl]

No problem. Everyone learns something new every day. Now at least informed members of the public can boycott such animals and leave them to the wild.

[stix]

!!! Oh no, no more these crabs for me! So I guess they are better off living off on land? Thanks Fuel for the information! Guess I got to keep other crab! What kind of crab are good for cleaning the sand that has brown alage on it?