Cool Critter: Land Crab

Blue Land Crab trying to blend in with mangrove roots at Cave Cay.

While exploring a shallow mangrove lagoon on Cave Cay, we came across a Blue Land Crab that was foraging for food in about 6 inches of water. These are cool critters!

Land crabs can grow to 6 inches across the carapace (this one was full grown), taking up to 60 molts to achieve that size. They can live up to 15 years.

This particular crab wasn't blue, but pale gray in color. On seeing us, he retreated to hide under some nearby mangrove prop roots. Their diet consists mostly of plant material, but they will eat insects and spiders.

Considered a terrestrial crab, females return to the sea to release up to 250,000 eggs each season. The eggs hatch into free swimming larvae, and those that survive eventually make it back to island habitats such as the pristine beaches and mangrove lagoons of Cave Cay.

This crab could be up to 15 years old.