This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Chinese mitten crab, aka Shanghai hairy crab, is a mid-sized burrowing species of crab that is named for their furry claws that look like mittens. They originally hail from rivers, estuaries, and other coastal habitats of east Asia; from Korea in the north to Fujian in the south. They […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The brown crab, aka edible crab, is found in the North Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and possibly the Mediterranean Sea. These crabs face the threats of overfishing; diseases, including: pink crab disease, shell disease syndrome, and various viruses; cadmium poisoning, which renders them unsellable due to the poisonous meat; predation, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The red mangrove crab, as you would imagine, dwells in and among mangroves. They are ecologically important as they bury and consume leaf litter. These crustaceans are not currently evaluated by the IUCN, but still face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential and commercial […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Atlantic blue crab, aka blue crab or Maryland blue crab, hails from the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and has been introduced to international waters. These crabs face the threats of overfishing; habitat loss and destruction; climate change, that can lead to severe weather; and microplastics […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The crab-eating raccoon, aka southern raccoon, or South American raccoon, dwells in marshlands and jungle habitats throughout Central and South America. These critters are seldom found too far from water. They are threatened by habitat loss at the hands of residential and commercial developments, logging, farming, and ranching; hunting; trapping; […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Christmas Island red crab hails from Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. Even though these land crabs are under a never-ending assault by yellow crazy ants and vehicle strike (being hit by vehicles), these crabs are abundant and not listed by the IUCN. There […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The vampire crab, aka Halloween crab, can be found in Asia, Java, Krakatau, Riau, Sulawesi, and the western Pacific. They prefer wet, rock-laden caves and moist tunnels near freshwater streams. Even though they aren’t currently evaluated by the IUCN, it is presumed that they are affected by pollution, habitat destruction, […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The fiddler crab, aka calling crab, is found in sea beaches and brackish intertidal mud flats, swamps, lagoons, and a variety of other types of brackish or saltwater wetlands of southern United States to South America. There are around 100 known species of semiterrestrial marine crabs in the family Ocypodidae. […]

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This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The hermit crab, contrary to their namesake, is actually a social animal that can be found in groups of 100 or more. They get their namesake due to their tendency to recoil into their shells, when threatened. There are approximately 1,100 known species of hermit crabs that can be found […]

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