Why are there so many crabs on Christmas Island?

Early inhabitants of Christmas Island rarely mentioned these crabs. It is possible that their current large population size was caused by the extinction of the endemic Maclear's rat, Rattus macleari in 1903, which may have limited the crab's population.



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

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The aptly named Toxic Reef Crab (also referred to as the Devil Crab), Zosimus aeneus, can be so toxic as to kill within a few hours of consumption and has been reported to be used by Pacific Islanders as a means for suicide.

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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.

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Red crabs - Gecarcoidea natalis Some 50 million red crabs live on Christmas Island – the only place in the world where they are found. These stunning creatures are extremely important to the island's rich biodiversity.

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

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