Palm Thief — The Giant Crab That Climbs Trees 🦀

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]The coconut crab, also known as the palm thief, is the largest land-living arthropod on Earth.

[00:00:07]Its leg span can reach nearly 1 m, and its powerful claws are strong enough to crack open coconuts.

[00:00:15]Despite the name, coconuts are not its only food. These giant crabs eat fruits, seeds, carrion, smaller animals, and sometimes even steal shiny objects or food from campsites. Young coconut crabs begin life inside borrowed seashells, just like hermit crabs. But as they grow larger, their bodies harden, and eventually they stop using shells entirely.

[00:00:43]Unlike most crabs, adult coconut crabs cannot swim and may drown in water. They spend almost their entire lives on tropical islands across the Indian and Pacific oceans.