This is Christmas Island, a small territory off the northwest coast of Australia, covered almost completely in rainforest. Because of its isolated location, the island only has 1,403 human residents, a lot of them being scientific researchers or photographers interested in the island's endemism. Christmas Island doesn't actually have any native or indigenious people, for when it was discovered on December 25th 1643 (the reason for its name of "Christmas Island"), it was found to be uninhabited by human beings. However, it as long been home to a number of exotic species that can be found no where else in the world, including different kinds of boobies, crabs, flowers, trees, vines and grasses. This makes the area a spot where many endangered species hail from, like some native rats and bats.But which species is this little island known for you might ask? Well, this might sum it up.
This is the Christmas Island Crab, a vibrantly red giant crab that gather in the hundreds on the island, and migrate every November. The people there even close of the roads to honor the migration, and to give the crabs safety in moving.
-M'Lady
Eeewww... I hate crabs. Cool story though. I bet that's where Santa goes for some time off.
ReplyDeleteKathy Hutton
I just saw a documentary on the migration of those crabs this week! It really interested me and your story just added to my interest!
ReplyDelete-MP
Those crabs are really red. The one in the close-up looks like he has beaver teeth :).
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you ment to have several paragraphs, but they don't show up.
I saw the documentary too. It was so weird because the crabs where everywhere even in homes and I kind of felt bad for the ones that were crushed by cars.
ReplyDeleteChristy N.
That sounds really interesting. I think it's cool how there's only about a thousand people living there. And I like those pictures of the crabs, though I would probably be a bit scared if I saw them migrating.
ReplyDelete-KG