The Backyard Zoo

by Jim Dunlap

"Giant Land Crab"

A lot of strange weird things walk through the doors here at the Science Learning Center. Curb your thoughts because I’m sensitive! This one walked, althoughbeit sideways, through those doors and into my heart. He sits still and brings a smile to your face. He moves and you giggle. He eats and you marvel at his dexterity. He is not called petite, diminutive, miniscule, or dinky. He is a Giant Land Crab.

The natural range of the land crab is Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean Sea, Texas and southern Florida. He is terrestrial (land-dwelling) and has been found as far as three miles from the shoreline. A burrowing creature that is primarily vegetarian but won’t pass up the chance to nibble a dead fish.

Ours is a shy, gentle creature that measures almost six inches across. He appears to be a critter of the sixties with his psychedelic colors of purple, orange, and green. He has hairy legs, one small claw and the other is about the size of Rhode Island! You haven’t lived until you have been grabbed by this crab.

True story time. What I do in deep water is not called swimming. It is called fighting for survival. Once upon a time I was floating on a rubber raft in the Gulf of Mexico. The raft suddenly became softer. I looked up and to my horror, I was fifty yards from the beach! Have you ever tried to paddle a deflated rubber raft? Still fifty yards from the shore, the raft lost all air. I was going down. In my panic and right before I yelled for help, my legs went down and hit bottom. I just stood up. While saying bad things I dragged the raft to the beach. I turned it over and found the reason for my near death experience. There was a huge crab with his claws stuck into the rubber raft.

I am not one to hold a grudge, therefore I will attempt to get this crab back to his ocean.

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