Interesting story on Coconut Crabs (misc. info re: Niku fauna.)

[Shannon Council]

Check out what the crabs stole and the damage that they did; astonishing (for me at least.)

Cheers
slc

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-australia-51867525/christmas-island-a-giant-robber-crab-stole-my-camera

[Christian Stock]

Her camera is probably on Saipan.

[Don White]

Maybe they stole AE's camera too! :)

LTM,
Don

[Shannon Council]

They really are gorgeous. Gentle giants, however? Not sure about that.

[Eric Sussman]

They are by far the best crabs I've ever eaten.  The locals and I used to capture them on the uninhabited barrier islands of Mili Atoll during my Peace Corps assignment.  Brought them back to our island and the women cooked them in their underground oven with breadfruit.  Yummy!

[Shannon Council]

Eric: Aren't these crabs legally protected in some way now-a-days?

[Eric Sussman]

Shannon,

They might be but I am unaware of the restriction.  Anyway, my experience dates to 1968-70.

Eric

[Ric Gillespie]

We used to eat them too, before they were declared endangered.  The restriction is routinely ignored by Pacific islanders.

[Gloria Walker Burger]

In the article they said the crabs are not scary at all. I read once on this website that they bother sleepers. Would they have bothered Amelia sleeping?

[Ric Gillespie]

Would they have bothered Amelia sleeping?

I don't think so.  They're very shy.  The little Strawberry Hermits are a different story.  If you stop moving they assume you're lunch.

[Andrew M McKenna]

Ric

If memory serves, both Kar Burns and John Clauss got pinched on the scalp by Coco crabs while sleeping. 

Maybe just my memory, but like the strawberry hermit crabs, I don't think they wait for you to die before seeing if you are edible and willing to fight back.

Andrew