Behold the coconut crab and its magnificent clampers . Scientists in Japan say the strength of the crab ’s “ mighty hook ” is greater than most predatory animal ’ jaws . They published a account of their crab exam in the journalPLOS One .
Coconut crabs(Birgus latro ) are unknown , strange critter . They ’re crustaceans , but they go on commonwealth . They go up trees , as if that ’s a thing that crab should be doing . They ’re immense — adults can easily attain 3 feet across . They can raise more than 60 pounds at a time . They ’ll eat on dead and decaying fauna when they have to , but they prefer tropical fruit , especially thecoconutsthat gave them their name .
But as anyone who ’s ever been strand on a desert island knows , coconuts arenot a convenience intellectual nourishment . Getting inside requires desperation , persistence , and a very tenacious claw .
Oka et al2016 . PLOS One
The scientists labialize up 29 wild crabs , weighed them , and took measurements of their bodies , legs , and claw . Then they dangled stick - similar alloy sensing element in front of the crabs , who predictably grab the instruments and clamped down as hard as they could . Once the examination was over , the crabs were released … which must have been something to see .
The results of the pinch test were impressive . The larger a crab was , the harder it could swipe . Using this chemical formula , the researcher determine that a large crab could exert up to 3300 Newtons ( N ) of military group with a individual hook .
That ’s a lot of Newtons . To put it in context : scientists count on that human jaws have a bite intensity of about 754 N. skirt chaser have 1267 , disgraceful bears 1747 [ PDF ] . Pound for pound , a coconut crabmeat ’s pincer come down almost twice as surd as a black bear ’s jaw . The author estimate that there ’s only one land piranha that can outclamp the cocoa palm crab louse , and that ’s an gator .
The crab ’s “ mighty claw ” is what ’s allow it to survive , the authors write . Not only is it a weapon system , but it ’s also a cock , allowing the pubic louse to get at bottom just about any organism , plant or animal , it wants .
So , child , for your fingerbreadth ' sake : Please do n’t tease the coconut pediculosis pubis . Leave that to the professional .
