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Cardisoma guanhumi
Blue Land Crab
Giant Land Crab
Florida native
Blue land crabs are a semi-terrestrial crab of subtropical estuaries and other maritime areas of terrain primarily along the east coast in Florida. The range includes the east coast of Texas, Mexico and Central America and most of the Caribbean.
The carapace can grow up to 15cm (6 in.) across. Juveniles may be dark brown, purple or orange(particularly the legs), becoming bluish-gray as an adult with females sometimes appearing light-gray or white. The larger claw of males can be up to 15cm (6 in.) in total length.
The burrows may be as deep as 1.5m (5 ft.), typically as deep as necessary so that water will seep in. They spend their adult life within five miles of the coast, returning to the ocean to breed. After mating females will carry the eggs under her body for two weeks before depositing them in saltwater which the larvae require to survive.
Cardisoma guanhumi is a member of the Gecarcinidae - Land Crabs family.
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
iNaturalist page for this species
Date record last modified: Nov 13, 2022
