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#1
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10-07-2011, 06:56 AM
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 My Rank: GUNNERY SERGEANT Poster Rank:651 **Corpsegrinding 4 profit** Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 1,351 1,351Posts 2,208Thanked 22Quoted 0Mentioned 0Contrib. |
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Worlds Weirdest Animals - Picture Thread
I'll go first: Bocydium globulare aka BALL BEARER LEAFHOPPER (Brazil)   ·  · |
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#2
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10-07-2011, 07:59 AM
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 My Rank: MAJOR Poster Rank:12 Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 93,062
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Re: Worlds Weirdest Animals - Picture Thread
Coconut crab The coconut crab, Birgus latro, is a species of terrestrial hermit crab, also known as the robber crab or palm thief. It is the largest land-living arthropod in the world, and is probably at the upper size limit of terrestrial animals with exoskeletons in today's atmosphere at a weight of up to 4.1 kg (9.0 lb). It is found on islands across the Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific Ocean as far east as the Gambier Islands, mirroring the distribution of the coconut palm; it has been extirpated from most areas with a significant human population, including mainland Australia and Madagascar. The coconut crab is the only species of the genus Birgus, and is closely related to the terrestrial hermit crabs of the genus Coenobita. It shows a number of adaptations to life on land. Like other hermit crabs, juvenile coconut crabs use empty gastropod shells for protection, but the adults develop a tough exoskeleton on their abdomen and stop carrying a shell. Coconut crabs have evolved organs known as "branchiostegal lungs", which are used instead of the vestigial gills for breathing. They cannot swim, and will drown if immersed in water for long. They have also developed an acute sense of smell, which has evolved convergently with that of insects, and which they use to find potential food sources. Mating occurs on dry land, but the females migrate to the sea to release their fertilised eggs as they hatch. The larvae are planktonic for 3–4 weeks, before settling to the sea floor and entering a gastropod shell. Sexual maturity is reached after about 5 years, and the total lifespan may be over 60 years. Adult coconut crabs feed on fruits, nuts, seeds, and the pith of fallen trees, but will also eat carrion and other organic matter opportunistically. The species is popularly associated with the coconut, and has been widely reported to climb trees to pick coconuts, which it then opens to eat the flesh. While coconut crabs can climb trees, and can eventually open a coconut collectively, coconuts are not a significant part of their diet. Coconut crabs are hunted wherever they come into contact with humans, and are subject to legal protection in some areas. In the absence of precise information, the IUCN lists the species as Data Deficient.  ·  ·  ·  · |
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#3
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10-07-2011, 08:00 AM
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| My Rank: MAJOR Poster Rank:12 Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 93,062
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93,062Posts 137,687Thanked 2,009Quoted 91Mentioned 239Contrib. |
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Re: Worlds Weirdest Animals - Picture Thread
Your edits always make me lol MrGB  |
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#9
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10-22-2011, 06:48 AM
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| My Rank: LANCE CORPORAL Poster Rank:3499 Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 100 100Posts 183Thanked 9Quoted 0Mentioned 0Contrib. |
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Re: Worlds Weirdest Animals - Picture Thread
tried coconut crab in Vanuatu years ago. Taste incredible!
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#10
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10-22-2011, 06:17 PM
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| So Fucking Banned Poster Rank:82 Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 18,664
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Re: Worlds Weirdest Animals - Picture Thread
Star-Nosed Mole:  |
