Loading Page...

How many crabs live on Christmas Island?

More than 120 million red crabs can be found on the rain forest floor of Christmas Island. Red crabs live alone in dirt burrows, or deep rock crevices. Crabs stay in the shade of their dwelling for most of the year.



People Also Ask

Despite its great numbers, Christmas Island red crabs are not considered edible, at least not edible to humans.

MORE DETAILS

Also known as the coconut crab, the robber crab is the world's biggest land crustacean.

MORE DETAILS

When does the red crab migration occur? The migration starts with the first rainfall of the wet season. This is usually in October or November, but can sometimes be as late as December or January. Red crabs all over the island leave their homes at the same time and start marching towards the ocean to mate and spawn.

MORE DETAILS

Christmas Island had a population of 1,692 residents as of 2021, the majority living in settlements on the northern edge of the island.

MORE DETAILS

Christmas Island began appearing on the charts of English and Dutch navigators from the early 1600s. But it wasn't until 1643 that Captain William Mynors of the British East India Company named the island after sighting it on Christmas Day.

MORE DETAILS