The coconut crab or Birgus latro is the largest crab ever. It can weigh 9 pounds and its size can be 3 feet. The coconut crab is a shelled animal that lives in a number of pacific islands. The habit of this animal is to climb coconuts and drop the fruit as food to be eaten later.
Actually Birgus latro is a type of large hermit crab. The colors are diverse and very beautiful, sometimes there are shiny blue ones so they are very charming when eaten. Usually these crabs climb the coconut and pick the fruit, they eat the coconut and with their strong pincers they can peel the coconut.
This is considered the planning behavior of the intelligent animal. A German biologist, Holger Rumpf who is considered the first to document the many behaviors of the coconut crab. He mentioned that the behavior of climbing coconuts is the behavior of avoiding its prey. Then when he was on a coconut tree, he said that the coconut crab dropped a coconut by accident.
So, he said that it was just a form of inadvertence on the part of this large animal while avoiding its many prey.
Our analysis: Why did he climb the coconut tree, maybe because the habitat of this large crab is in the Pacific area where coconut trees are dominant.
If he was somewhere else, he could have climbed another tree to avoid his prey. If so, then he is not a coconut eater. It lives by preying on other animals such as birds or other animals.
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Diet
It has long been believed that coconut crabs are opportunistic feeders, but most of them are vegetarians. His name is also known as “robber crab” because they take food from people’s homes. Even these crabs were also found knocking down trash cans and looking for food there. Because of this habit, the coconut crab has also earned the name “garbage” or trash can crab.
In their environment, coconut crabs or trash crabs eat fruits such as cherries and nuts. However, the term opportunist has been given incorrectly to this animal.
Apart from eating fruits and vegetables, animals are also known to eat other animals such as mice, other crabs, eating baby turtles, and even eating puppies and kittens.
Others have found that the coconut crab or Birgus latro is hunting. He hunts seabirds that are sleeping, with this fact the Birgus latro crab is said to be a hunting animal.
Do you know how strong his grip is? It is said that the grip of the coconut crab’s hand is very strong, even equivalent to a lion’s bite. Scary isn’t it!
Reproduction
How do coconut crabs reproduce? The male crab at first looks for a mate and then a fight ensues. If the male crab manages to overturn the female, then he climbs on her and gives her a spermatophore.
The female places the fertilized egg on the underside of her body and when the time is right she releases it in the sea. This baby crab has gills and can breathe under the ocean.
His ability decreases as he grows until he lives on land. It is said that when they are on land, they must keep their respiratory organs slightly moist to be able to breathe properly. If the respiratory organs (lungs) dry up, then they will weaken and die.
Likewise they will die if thrown into the sea, drown and die. This means that these animals cannot live in the sea.
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Habitat and Location
The coconut crab or Birgus latro is an animal that lives on the Pacific coast. They live on the islands of East Africa, stretching from the Indian Ocean to Hawaii.
Interestingly, they live along land that is overgrown with coconuts. This seems to indicate co-evolution. This is also the reason why he always climbs coconut trees when avoiding his prey and for this reason this hard-shelled animal is called a “coconut crab”, not because it eats coconuts.
Can this animal be Eaten In Islam?
Some people eat it and say that it is very delicious.
What is the ruling on eating coconut crab in Islam?
In Islam it is clear which animals are eaten and which cannot be eaten. Animals that in two places, water and land (amphibians) are animals that cannot be eaten (haram). Crab is one that lives on land and is not included in aquatic animals such as fish or sea crabs.
He also sometimes needs water to moisten his respiratory organs. This is considered an animal in both places, so this animal is not one of those that are allowed to be eaten.
