Species Table

Ayuyu

Coconut Crab

Birgus latro

Photo by Robert F. Myers

Related Species:

The related species is the hermit crab.

General Facts:

They are native to Guam and are threatened by humans so they are protected and regulated by The Department of Agriculture.

Specific Habitat:

They live in holes during the day and come out at night to feed.

Sources of Food:

They eat anything like rotted wood, fruits, various plants, and especially coconuts.

Predators in the Wild:

They have no predators when they are full grown. When they are little their predators are rats, wild pigs, dogs, monitor lizards.

Economic Importance:

They are a delicacy to the natives of Guam and a great tourist attraction.

Threatening Factors:

They are hunted for food.

Preserving this Species:

The back shell has to be 3 inches (seven and a half centimeters) or more in order to be taken from the wild.

Additional Facts:

Its legs can grow up to six feet in length and it abdomen could be about one square foot.

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Funded by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Programs administered by the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources, Department of Agriculture, and the Guam Coastal Management Program, Bureau of Planning, Government of Guam pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award No. NA270Z0331-01.

*Related Species:*	The related species is the hermit crab.
*General Facts:*	They are native to Guam and are threatened by humans so they are protected and regulated by The Department of Agriculture.
*Specific Habitat:*	They live in holes during the day and come out at night to feed.
*Sources of Food:*	They eat anything like rotted wood, fruits, various plants, and especially coconuts.
*Predators in the Wild:*	They have no predators when they are full grown. When they are little their predators are rats, wild pigs, dogs, monitor lizards.
*Economic Importance:*	They are a delicacy to the natives of Guam and a great tourist attraction.
*Threatening Factors:*	They are hunted for food.
*Preserving this Species:*	The back shell has to be 3 inches (seven and a half centimeters) or more in order to be taken from the wild.
*Additional Facts:*	Its legs can grow up to six feet in length and it abdomen could be about one square foot.