Red Crab
Christmas Island experiences the mass migration of the red crab, which moves from the forest to the ocean to lay their eggs. It’s a visually striking occurrence as these red crabs all make their way across the land. They swarm the rocks, sand, and beaches. The male crabs lead the migration, and the females follow and join along the way.
Park manager Derek Ball, who studies the red crab migration, said, “Over many years we’ve also targeted the red crab’s biggest threat, the invasive yellow crazy ant. By reducing their numbers, the red crab population numbers are higher than we’ve seen in decades which is an outstanding result not only for the red crabs, but for the entire island ecosystem.” The phase of the moon determines the exact timing of the migration since the red crabs always spawn during the last quarter of the moon (Park Australia).