The Christmas 'Crab' Island
Author: Elatrip
A territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean, 'Christmas Island' is located 2,600 kms northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth and 500 kms south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
However, it is not the island's geographic isolation or, bare-minimal human disturbance to its flora and fauna that makes this islet unique... It is.... the "Red Crab(s)" - the real masters of this outlet!!!
The carapace
is up to 116 millimetres (4.6 in) long, rounded, and encloses the gills. The claws are usually of equal size, unless one becomes injured or detached, in which case the limb will regenerate. During that time, it will be the smaller of the two. The male crabs are generally larger than the females, while adult females have a much broader abdomen and usually have smaller claws. The broader abdomen of the female Christmas Island red crab only becomes apparent in the third year of growth.
A photo-tour to the daily life of Christmas 'Crab' Island............
Christmas Island rainforest ..................................................................................
Red crabs begin their march from the forest to the sea, where they will reproduce
During the migration, the island's human inhabitants just have to adapt....................................................................................................................
There are around 120 million crabs on the march................................................
The crabs navigate the same pathways year after year.......................................
For the islanders, encounters with crabs during the migration are just part of island life..........
Most of the time we just work around the crabs and take them for granted.................................................................................................................
After two weeks of marching, the first wave of crabs reaches the ocean...................................................................................................................
The weary travellers dip in the ocean to replace body fluids and salts......................................................................................................................
The eggs hatch immediately on contact with the water.....................................................................................................................
Baby crabs navigate their way into the rainforest ................................................
Hey! No room for "intruders" in our land............?
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/exotic-locations-articles/the-christmas-crab-island-3565010.html
About the Author
Elatrip.com is the travel/tourism portal, headquartered in Kochi, Kerala. We have offices in prominent international locations, including New York, Zurich, Bangkok and Dubai.
Elatrip.com offers unique packages, own fleet, together with 24 hour customer service. Through our comprehensive travel portal we provide quality, credible services at the best price.