In the dark interior of a motu, a rustle in the leaf litter may belong to a hermit crab that sometimes trades a seashell for a seed shell.
- Habitat
- Motu and shore
About this species
Coenobita spinosus is strongly adapted to life on land. On Tetiaroa it is found chiefly inside the motu, in shaded forest near the coast. Usually active at night, it shelters beneath leaves and debris by day. It may remain motionless when approached, then run if threatened.
The Society’s observations describe individuals using pierced tamanu nuts and, for larger crabs, small coconut shells. Some are seen without a shell, and an escaping crab may abandon its shelter to move faster. Its choice of shelter is unusually flexible among land hermit crabs.
The body is generally brown, with orange, reddish or nearly black variants. Its hairiness and a swelling behind the head help distinguish it; the name spinosus refers to its spiny appearance. It scavenges both plant and animal remains on the forest floor.