Now is the time to go through some of the imperative crab facts for kids such as crab diet, habitat & distribution, and behavior. The crabs are decapods crustaceans that belong to the infraorder Brachyura. They have a short projecting tail. The crab is by far one of the oldest extant species on the planet earth. Horseshoe crabs are one of those that dates back to 200 million years ago and are virtually a living fossil. One can easily make out a difference between male and a female by observing at the underside of the shell. The female displays wide triangular-shaped area in the center of the shell, while male exhibits rather more unique and elongated spire in the center. Horseshoe crabs may seem ordinary but scientists and other conservationists have figured out that the horseshoe is an unusual animal – it has blue blood, a mouth between its legs, and scattered around its body. Now let’s discover these interesting facts about crabs for kids.
Amazing Crab Facts For Kids
- Crabs generally live in all the waters of the world and on land. They fancy their living in tropical regions in particular. There is a considerable size variation from few millimeters to 4 meters (13 feet). Crabs are very fond of freshwater where they spend most of their time. Of all the species, around 850 crab species live in freshwater and are considered to be territorial. The males display larger claws as compared to those of females.
- The horseshoe crabs show a hard and tough spiny shell that serves as an important tool while defending against predators; however, they should be aware of loggerhead turtles as the turtle’s powerful jaws can easily tear into a chitin shell and consume the whole horseshoe crab.
- In case of fiddler crabs, the males employ one claw for communicating especially during the mating season to attract its mate.
- The males have slender abdomen while in females the abdomen is rather wider and rounded perhaps due to the fact that female crabs brood fertilized eggs on their pleopods.
- Crabs are often found walking in to one side. There are certain species that tend to walk backwards as well. Raninids and Mictyris platycheles are some of these.
- Mostly crabs are proactive with complex behavior patterns. They can be aggressive towards one another and the fight typically arises on gaining access to females. However, on rocky seashores, where almost all the crevices and caves are engaged, crabs often fight over hiding holes.
- Robber crabs are capable to climb trees and they can fall at least 15 feet (4.5 meters) without being hurt. These crabs are entirely land-living species. However, females march towards the sea to lay eggs. The length of the robber crabs measure around 1.5 feet (45 cm), while it weighs around 9 pounds (4 kg). The robber crabs have robust legs and claws. These crabs are closely related to the hermit crabs. The average lifespan of robber crabs is 50 years. Using their massive and strong claws, robber crabs usually fight each other to protect their territory. They also serve as an important food item.
- The length of the horseshoe female crabs measure around 2 feet (0.6 meters) including tail. The adult females can weigh around 10 pounds (4.5 kg).
What Do Crabs Eat | Crab Facts For Kids
Crabs are omnivorous species and they predominantly feed on algae. These species also consume crustaceans, bacteria, mollusks, worms, detritus, and fungi. Robber crabs feed on husk, coconut flesh, dead rats, turtle hatchlings, and screwpine fruit. Robber crabs fancy their living in open woodland including coastal habitats on islands.
Where Do Crabs Live | Crab Facts For Kids
Crabs are found in almost all the oceanic waters of the world. True crabs, of which about 4,500 species are extensively distributed worldwide, have a range from mudflats to abyssal depths of around 3500 meters to 12,000 feet. Crabs for the most part inhabit in the semi-tropical regions. Crabs are also known to reside all throughout the range of Indian Ocean, South Pacific, Comoros islands, and Seychelles east to Tuamotu Archipelago.
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