Australia's Coconut Crab — The largest terrestrial arthropod in the world

Flautist received the following (along with the pictures above and below) from her brother and was kind enough to pass it along.

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How would you like to find this on the side of your trash can!!!!!!! (or anywhere!!!!). Our friends in Australia sent us a picture of a coconut crab. This is pretty interesting.....

The coconut crab (Birgus latro) is the largest terrestrial arthropod in the world. It is known for its ability to crack coconuts with its strong pincers in order to eat the contents. It is sometimes called the robber crab because some coconut crabs are rumored to steal shiny items such as pots and silverware from houses and tents. The first photo gives you a good idea of how large these crabs are. In it, a coconut crab is seeking food from a black trashcan.

The coconut crab is a large edible land crab related to the hermit crab, and is found in the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. It eats coconuts for a living! How would you like to be on an island and come across a crab that is more than 3 feet from head to tail and weighs up to 40 pounds, with a pair of large pincers strong enough to open coconuts? They can climb trees too, but they only eat coconuts that have already fallen to the ground.

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Flautist added, "The garbage collectors around here would never pick up again!"