';..o-..,~ "", ~ JJ. 'i' l .. ,•

COMMONWEALTH of me NOKTHERN MARIANAS ISLANDS

Farallon de PaJaros (Uracasl -Ull • Asuncion

ABnhan

AlaInapn • Guauan

sar1Ban Anatahan I'd:~~lla

I at Salpan .Y Carolinia11 llnlan IDENTIFICATION very much like hermit . Soon they leave -ABuiguan The (Birgus latro) is the largest their seashell and depend on their hard shell Rota land crab in the world. Adults can reach a leg for protection. span of up to three feet (90cm). Adult * Distribution in the CNMI Coconut crabs have a bluish hue on their THREATS and CONSERVATION that is very distinctive. Coconut Coconut crabs are threatened by attacks from crabs have that they keep moist by introduced , overharvesting and dipping their back legs into pools of water. deforestation. Full grown coconut crabs have no enemies other than humans. The delicious and FEEDING Coconut crab is considered a game species in Coconut crabs live in many diverse forest the CNMI and is a local delicacy. The young types including native forests, secondary are eaten by introduced predators such as rats, forests and tangantangan stands. They dig wild pigs, dogs, and monitor lizards. Coconut holes in which they hide during the day. At crabs grow very slowly and take a long time to night they come out to search for food. They reach sexual maturity. Regulations have been are scavengers that feed on a variety of , developed to avoid overharvesting. decaying plant matter and small or dead A license is required to hunt Coconut crabs animals. Their favorite food, of course, is and there is a size limitation. During the coconut. They have large, strong claws that hunting season, a Coconut crab can only be can rip the husk from the coconut, crack the taken if it is over three inches (7.5cm) across shell and get meat from the inside of the nut. the back shell (carapace). A female crab, REPRODUCTION regardless of size, may not be taken when it is carrying eggs beneath the abdomen (berried). Coconut crabs have a unique life cycle. They t• • • begin their life in the sea and live on land as The only legal means of taking Coconut crabs adults. Adult females mate with males on land is by hand. The bag limit is five with a total This crab is attracted to shiny objects and has and then travel to the sea to lay their eggs. season limit of ten per person. The sale of been known to run off with The eggs hatch into tiny larvae that drift with Coconut crabs captured in the CNMI is steel pots and other trinkets! the currents for several weeks before settling prohibited. The preserving or mounting of Outside pets have to guard to the bottom where they transform into tiny Coconut crabs for display purposes or the sale their food! crabs. They then climb into a seashell and of such crabs within the CNMI is also crawl up on the beach. At this time, they look prohibited. FACTOIDI