A land hermit crab (probably Coenobita cavipes) peeks out from under a rocky outcrop at St. John's Island in the dying minutes of our evening hunt. Their numbers used to be much greater, so much so that naked anomurans were wandering about for want of sufficient real estate. But a handful still creep about on the lawn overlooking the muddy swimming lagoon and possibly on the hilly slopes further within. In the dark, they have a respite from diurnal predators and unconscionable collectors who desire a free catch than the expense of a petshop purchase.
Smaller crabs dwell in the empty spirals of top and turban snails, while burlier specimens (possibly of a different species, Coenobita rugosus) make good use of the shells of giant African land snails (Achatina fulica). On the sands above the high water mark they forage for the remains of littoral lives, while those on the grass above search for organic pickings beneath the boughs of the casuarinas and tembusus.
Hello ...
I think both of the land hermit crabs pictured above is Coenobita purpureus (aka.Blueberry Land Hermit Crab)- especially the big one in Giant African snail; I'm quite sure that it is not a C.cavipes.
You're very lucky got a chance to find such species. In Indonesia, it's very difficult to get such species.
Ps: Is St.John Island located in Singaporean territory ?
Posted by: HappyCrabbie | 22 October 2007 at 06:41 PM