The coconut crab, also known as the robber crab or palm thief, is the largest land-dwelling arthropod in the world. With their massive claws and incredible climbing abilities, these impressive crustaceans have captivated people for centuries. But where can you actually buy a coconut crab to call your own? This complete guide covers everything you need to know about purchasing these fascinating creatures.
Found on islands across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, coconut crabs are a highly unique crab species. They belong to the hermit crab family but grow up to 3 feet across and can weigh over 9 pounds. As juveniles, they live in seashells. However, as adults they develop a hard abdominal shell and live their lives fully terrestrial.
Coconut crabs get their name from their ability to climb coconut palms and crack open the hard fruit with their massive claws. They also forage for fruits, nuts and seeds on the ground. With those giant pincers, they can open just about anything!
These intriguing crabs grow slowly, taking over 5 years to reach full maturity. They also tend to be solitary and cover wide home territories. Due to habitat loss and over-hunting for food, coconut crab populations have declined significantly in recent decades. They are listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Where You Can Purchase Coconut Crabs
Since coconut crabs can only be collected from their native islands, as they cannot be captive bred successfully, getting one requires finding a specialized supplier. Here are some options:
Local Markets in the Pacific Islands
In parts of the Pacific where coconut crabs are a traditional food source, like the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, they can sometimes be found for sale in local markets. This presents an opportunity to purchase crabs harvested sustainably by local communities.
Online Exotic Pet Retailers
A number of online retailers offer live coconut crabs for sale that they source directly from the Pacific Islands. Big Apple Herp, for example, is a major exotic pet supplier that gets periodic shipments of coconut crabs. The downside of online sources is that you can’t always verify how the animal was collected. Be sure to ask questions about sustainability practices before purchasing.
Direct from Pacific Island Suppliers
Some niche suppliers based in the Pacific Islands export coconut crabs to the international pet trade This provides more transparency into the source, but can be logistically challenging Your best bet is connecting with a crab exporter based in the region that focuses on sustainability, like Crab Company Fiji. They harvest crabs in remote locations away from villages.
What Coconut Crabs Typically Cost
Due to the costs and challenges of collecting coconut crabs ethically, they are one of the most expensive pets you can buy. Here are some typical price ranges:
- $500 – $600 for a 8-10 inch crab
- $700 – $1,000 for a 10-12 inch crab
- $1,000 – $1,500 for a 12-15 inch mature adult
Larger older crabs tend to cost more. Prices also vary based on the source and availability. Expect to pay a premium for captive bred specimens, which are very rare.
Caring for Your Coconut Crab
Coconut crabs require very specialized care. Before purchasing, make sure you can provide the following:
- Large habitat: A minimum of a 6 ft x 3 ft enclosure with ample climbing space.
- High humidity: Maintain 70-80% humidity and deep substrate.
- Warm temperatures: About 80°F with basking area in the 90s.
- Varied diet: Omnivorous, including fruit, vegetables, seed and some animal protein.
- Permits: Some areas require special permits to keep coconut crabs.
Do ample research to ensure you can properly care for one of these fascinating animals! Proper husbandry is essential.
Top Places to Find Coconut Crabs for Sale
While owning a coconut crab is not for everyone, their unique features make them coveted by collectors. Here are some top places to look for purchasing coconut crabs:
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Big Apple Herp – A major online exotic retailer that sustainably sources periodic shipments of coconut crabs from the Pacific Islands.
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Local pet stores – Some specialty exotic pet stores can source coconut crabs through niche suppliers. Check stores near you.
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Exotic pet fairs – Vendors offering all kinds of exotic species sometimes have coconut crabs for sale. Attend a fair near you to check availability.
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Crab Company Fiji – A dedicated coconut crab exporter in Fiji focused on sustainable harvesting. They can ship crabs internationally.
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Pacific Island communities – If visiting a Pacific locale where coconut crabs thrive, check with local communities that harvest crabs about purchasing directly.
Purchasing Your Coconut Crab Ethically
Because coconut crabs are vulnerable and facing population declines, it’s extremely important to buy humanely sourced specimens through trusted retailers. Avoid buying from unknown suppliers, as you won’t know if the animal was sustainably wild-caught or illegally poached. Always ask questions about how the crab was collected and handled.
With their unique appearance and behaviors, coconut crabs can be fascinating pets for a committed owner. But they require highly advanced care and a dedication to responsible sourcing. By following this guide, your new coconut crab can thrive under your care. Just be sure you are ready for the responsibility before bringing one of these incredible creatures home.
What do coconut crabs eat?
Their name might give it away, but coconut crabs are known for cracking into green coconuts to feast on the white flesh inside.
“Their walking legs are kind of curved and clawlike, and they have an inward grip so they can climb palm trees and other trees,” explains Miranda.
Coconuts aren’t all they’ll munch on, however. Coconut crabs will eat fallen fruit, nuts and seeds.
Perhaps unexpectedly for crabs, they’re also rather ruthless predators.
“Most other crabs live exclusively on the water’s edge or in the ocean and their food source is dead animals – marine worms, the flesh of other dead crabs, that sort of thing. They’re not exactly vicious hunters.”
Coconut crabs, however, will hunt rats, other coconut crabs and even large migratory seabirds, such as boobies that they find nesting on their islands. They’ve been spotted mounting attacks in the dark of the night and grabbing unsuspecting prey that pass too close to the crabs’ burrows.
Miranda says, “it’s an adaptation because of their food source. On land, some of the time they have to find something else other than coconuts.”
Coconut crabs’ broad diets have even led some to suggest that the reason famed aviator Amelia Earhart was never found when she disappeared mid-flight over the Pacific Ocean in 1937, was because she was devoured by coconut crabs after perishing on Nikumaroro island.
What is a coconut crab?
To say that coconut crabs are big would be an understatement.
“Theyre a mega-crab, really,” explains Miranda Lowe, our Principal Curator of Crustacea. “They range, but they can be huge – up to a metre leg span.”
They’re not quite the worlds largest crab – that would be the Japanese spider crab, Macrocheira kaempferi, which can reach a whopping 3.7 metres from claw to claw.
But the coconut crab is the largest crustacean that spends all its adult life on land, with a Guinness World Record to prove it. It’s also the biggest land-dwelling arthropod, the group of invertebrates that also includes insects, spiders and centipedes.
Coconut crabs can live up to 60 years, reaching sexual maturity at about five years old. They mate between May and September and females release their eggs into the water.
When they hatch, the larvae disperse on floating coconuts, logs or other rafts for four to six weeks. They then transform into shrimplike creatures called glaucothoe and sink to the seabed to find a suitable gastropod shell for protection. They will then begin to migrate towards the shore, spending another four weeks around the high-tide mark before they become juvenile crabs.
Adult coconut crabs don’t use shells. Instead rely on their tough exoskeleton to protect them from predators.
Although they spend their multiple larval stages in water, when coconut crabs eventually become adults, they can’t swim. In fact, they drown if they end up underwater for a prolonged period. This is because instead of gills, they have branchiostegal lungs that allow them to breathe air.
Coconut crabs are found across the Indo-Pacific, from islands off the coast of Africa near Zanzibar to the Gambier Islands in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. They’re typically found in coastal forests with plenty of rock crevices and soil for digging burrows. On some islands, they can be found up to six kilometres from the shore.
The Colossal Coconut Crab | South Pacific | BBC Earth
FAQ
Where can I find a coconut crab?
Coconut crabs are found across the Indo-Pacific, from islands off the coast of Africa near Zanzibar to the Gambier Islands in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. They’re typically found in coastal forests with plenty of rock crevices and soil for digging burrows.
Are coconut crabs legal in the US?
Long story short, someone showed me a coconut crab for sale and the wikipedia says it’s a threatened species. Endangered Species Act says possessing a threatened species is a Class C Felony.
How to get coconut crabs?
Coconut Crab (Birgus Latro)
Catch crabs at night around coconut tree groves with a flashlight. Step on their backs and grab from behind so that the front claws cannot reach the fingers.