Crab performs self amputation

Where I live in the Caribbean, we have both booby birds and land crabs, as well as soldier crabs. I've never known the land crabs to go after booby bird nests/chicks, and was amazed to see this process. I have seen land crabs fight before, and they seem to have a large claw for fighting, and another smaller one for feeding.

That littler feeding claw is the one that can really get people and pets. Why? It closes fast, and meets in a opposed way that makes it the most .............. pinchy claw. In both the Soldier Crabs and Land Crabs, the fighting claw is useful when fighting amongst themselves, because it's akin to a dog clamping its jaws and applying even pressure. I can't be certain, but looked in both "amputations" that the fighting claw was damaged and removed. Why amputate? Because a damaged claw limits mobility and is therefore a detriment to survival.

Amazing creatures. I have said before that I never want to pass out in the back yard........ by the time I wake up, I might be nearly consumed.

The land crabs in particular, I love their spirit. This is probably an antropomorphism, but if you see a land crab at night on the road, even as your lights bear down on them, they hold their position and raise the claws. They fight anything to the death.

Booby birds nest here in the sheer bluff, safe from almost everything. Their primary foe is the Man-o-War (Frigate Bird), who will follow them when the Booby birds are fishing and attempt to steal their catch in mid-air. The Booby birds have webbed feet and can land and sit upon the water; The Frigates do not. The Frigates are more powerful, but lack the aerial mauverability of the Booby birds. I have watched four Frigates trying to "corner" a Booby in the air, and the Booby can and will dive straight down, twisting and turning and often makes it to the nest, having run the gauntlet of Frigates. Once in the nesting area, they are safe, as the Boobies nest in a communal way, and will fiercely defend against the Frigate marauders. It's an amazing arial dance to watch.

Thanks, OP, for sharing the video. I'm still amazed at seeing the hoard of land crabs attempting to attack the Booby chick. I'd be really interested in knowing where this took place.

reply to post by shell310

Amazing video. Would be pretty neat if we could grow back our limbs too if they were ever cut off in an accident. Crabs are lucky they can regenerate but they are not lucky they taste so good.

These particular crabs are edible, but don't have much in the way of what most crab afficiandos would call 'meat'. Most people I know that eat them, make a sort of thick soupy stew of them. I've had it. There are a lot of things I'd choose to eat before eating them.

We call the lizards Phage refers to "Droptails" here in Australia. I remember as a kid they would be everywhere.
Lift up any old log and you were sure to find them. If you carefully pick them up by their abdomen, they are fine. If you try and grab them by their tail, it simply drops off and you are left with a wiggling lizard tail as the rest of the creature scurries away.

I've watched birds feed on them. I'm sure they purposefully go for their tails. That way they are guaranteed a meal. I've even seen birds happily consuming the tail whilst they casually watch the poor lizard run away!

I'm not sure how long it takes for them to regenerate a tail but it's common to see different lizards with diversely developed tail lengths from previous encounters.

reply to post by camouflaged


Since they lack the portions of their brain to feel pain or have emotion, I'm sure they are fine. They are basically biological robot's.

I learned about that when a few years back people got upset over a Lobster not knowing they can't feel pain or suffer.

reply to post by truthseeker84


I don't have a problem with eating animals. The whole point of my post is boiling them alive is cruel.

reply to post by Blaine91555


Ummm did you skip over my post? They are proven to feel pain. Hence the huge letters that I put in the post so people like you could educate yourself.

www.livescience.com...



But I forgot you're just a dumb primate. A biological robot....

You can be the first in line if Aliens ever come to eat us by boiling us alive.

reply to post by camouflaged


That's pretty awesome.I can only imagine the crab thinking "I'll be back" as he's tearing his limb off Thanks for sharing

Originally posted by Blaine91555
reply to post by camouflaged

 

Since they lack the portions of their brain to feel pain or have emotion, I'm sure they are fine. They are basically biological robot's.

I learned about that when a few years back people got upset over a Lobster not knowing they can't feel pain or suffer.

That's what the scientist's say, i doubt they lack pain if they did they wouldn't defend them self because it would be pointless, id say if anything they would feel less pain because their of a smaller organism structure then we are but i highly doubt they feel nothing, have you heard the screams when they boil? i don't eat seafood because im a fussy eater but boiling them alive is in my opinion wrong, all because something isn't our size does not mean they don't feel pain. Their are animals bigger then humans and have bigger brains and are probably smarter but we kill them and call them stupid because we have weapons they don't. Our brains are programmed to destroy to dominate other species big or small due to our will to survive the days when we lived in caves. Sorry i wasn't directing any of this at you blaine91555 im just speaking in general about my opinion on animals feelings.

reply to post by mainidh


I feel your pain, or at least I used to. Try asking your doctor to prescribe you a medicated ointment called Proctodan-HC 30 g. I used to have hemmoroids for years after having kids and being on meds for muscle probs and constipation is not fun. I've used this stuff and it words awesome AND it helps to keep them away for a really long time. I haven't had roids for a couple years now. Talk to your doctor about it.

reply to post by camouflaged


SCIENTISTS DO NOT SAY THAT. YOU ARE WRONG. IT IS A MYTH. THEY ARE PROVEN TO FEEL PAIN.

www.livescience.com...

CRABS/LOBSTERS ARE PROVEN TO FEEL PAIN

How many posts do I have to say stating this


Feeling pain is a survival mechanism.



It lets the living creature know it is getting hurt...it has nothing to do with intelligence AT ALL.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
reply to post by Blaine91555

 

Ummm did you skip over my post? They are proven to feel pain. Hence the huge letters that I put in the post so people like you could educate yourself.

www.livescience.com...

But I forgot you're just a dumb primate. A biological robot....

You can be the first in line if Aliens ever come to eat us by boiling us alive.

edit on 2/2/2012 by mnmcandiez because: (no reason given)

"There has been a long debate about whether crustaceans including crabs, prawns and lobsters feel pain," said study researcher Bob Elwood of Queen's University Belfast in the UK.

That's a quote from your source. You will notice that science is not in agreement on this. The exact opposite has been believed to be true for a long time now as these creatures lack the part of the brain needed to feel emotion and are not self-aware. We could play source wars all day except most of them will agree with me. I suspect a Vegan behind this one.

All attaching electrodes to them proves is they have a survival instinct. It's making the evidence fit the theory and I doubt this is peer reviewed and settled by any stretch of the imagination. All life has a survival instinct.

No need for the trollish personal attack. I prefer adult discussion and debate.

reply to post by Blaine91555




I take it you didn't read the study

But a study by Elwood and colleagues in 2007 found prawns were irritated when their antennae were treated with acetic acid, and after a local anesthetic, they'd stop rubbing the antennae. He said this was evidence that they suffer pain, and that lobsters likely feel pain, too.

^ 100% proof of feeling pain

But keep thinking that certain animals are soooo below you because they aren't fuzzy and cute.


I deal with crabs DAILY, It is more than apparent that they feel pain and can suffer.

People once thought that pigs, cows, didn't feel pain and were "living machines". Pigs were roasted alive in ancient Greece because of this and they thought it would make it taste better. This is one of the main reasons that Pythagoras was a vegetarian.

We now know that pigs are one of the smartest non-primate animals there are.

Your opinion is primitive. Get some empathy and open your eyes.

Originally posted by mnmcandiez
reply to post by camouflaged

 

SCIENTISTS DO NOT SAY THAT. YOU ARE WRONG. IT IS A MYTH. THEY ARE PROVEN TO FEEL PAIN.

www.livescience.com...

CRABS/LOBSTERS ARE PROVEN TO FEEL PAIN

How many posts do I have to say stating this

Feeling pain is a survival mechanism.



It lets the living creature know it is getting hurt...it has nothing to do with intelligence AT ALL.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

edit on 2/3/2012 by mnmcandiez because: (no reason given)

I understand your frustration, read this megan-jungwi.suite101.com...
It states

In the 2005 study “Sentience and Pain in Invertebrates”, published for the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety, biology professor Lauritz Somme from the University of Oslo concluded that “it is unlikely they [lobsters] can feel pain”. The professor argues that what may look like pain – a lobster thrashing about in a boiling pot – is actually a reflex to stimuli. This is different from pain which requires sentience or a sense of self-awareness. In essence, a lobster does not have the mental capacity to process pain and know it is feeling pain. This is an opinion shared heartily by those in the lobster industry. Bob Bayer, the Director of Maine’s Lobster Institute, is quoted as saying in the Institute’s Spring 2005 The Lobster Bulletin, “We’ve maintained all along that the lobster doesn’t have the ability to process pain….Neither insects nor lobsters have brains”.

and looking over my post i realize what i said was easily misinterpreted...Their were studies previously which scientist's "have" came out and said they don't feel pain, pity their common sense was never examined what i said was "i doubt they lack pain if they did they wouldn't defend them self because it would be pointless, id say if anything they would feel less pain because their of a smaller organism structure then we are but i highly doubt they feel nothing, have you heard the screams when they boil?"

What I'm trying top get at here is that i agree they "DO" feel pain, but because pain is associated with receptors from our brain and because they don't have brains then they wouldn't be able to display it like we could E.G Verbally saying ouch or stop or if you boil a human they will throw their arms around etc. Once again i point out the fact that it must be very painful if when they get thrown into boiling water they scream and in my opinion its wrong to do that to "ANYTHING" that breaths air. I hope that clears things up.