| Scientific name : | Birgus latro L. |
| English name : | Robber Crab, Coconut Crab |
| Creole name : | Sipay, Krab koko, Bef koko |
| Family : | Coenobitidae |
| Distribution : | |
| Seychelles Islands : | Aldabra, Glorieuse, Astove, Assumption, Cosmoledo (Haig, 1984), extinct on the central islands (eaten) |
| Worldwide : | 
East coast of Africa to Line and Gambier Islands (but absent from northern part part of Indian Ocean except Nicobar Islands and South Sentinel in the Andamans, and from western part of Malay archipelago). |
| Ecology : | |
| Habitat : | Supralittoral beach vegetation, coconut groves, and Pandanus thickets (Haig, 1984) |
| Diet : | Fruits, rotting leaves and coconuts. It is often said that he can climb, a tree to cut a coconut, than comes down to open it with his strong chelipeds, but this is not certain, although he can open damaged coconuts. It feeds on a variety of wild and cultivated plant products, as well as on dead and injured animals. In Aldabra it is a scavenger of major importance on the remains of dead tortoises, and it preys on tortoise eggs and hatchlings (Haig, 1984) |
| Activity : | |
| Burrowing : | Hiding in burrows, between tree roots and in holes and crevices in rock, hollows in tree trunks, and in Cardisoma holes, to protect his soft abdomen against desiccation during the day from direct sunlight. Has been observed digging burrows in the sand himself. |
| Description : | |
| Shells used : | shells are only used during juvenile stages, afterwards, there are no shells available which are big enough. Sometimes coconuts are used but eventually they will resort to digging burrows as adults. |
| Size : | Largest land crab in Seychelles |
| Colour : | There are two colour morphs, the black being less common than the red. |
| Differences in sexes : | |
| Pictures : |   |
| Reproduction : |  |
| Fecundicity : | mean egg count = 90730 |
| Seychelles Islands : | Aldabra (Alexander, 1979), Aride (Anderson, 1994), Silhouette (Haig, 1984), Mahe (Glacis, only once) and Petite Soeur (my observations) |
| Worldwide : | East coast of Africa to Line and Tuamotu archipelago (Haig, 1984). |
| Ecology : | |
| Habitat : | Sandy Beaches, on Petite Soeur, at the end of the beach under the vegetation.
|
| Diet : | Carnivorous |
| Activity : | nocturnal |
| Description : | bigger hermit crab, body purple to brown |
| Shells used : | Turbo shells, but also coconuts. |
| Size : | Largest of the Coenobita genus. Uses shells up to 80 mm openings |
| Differences in sexes : | |
| Picture : |  |
| Scientific name : | Coenobita perlatus H. Milne Edwards, 1837 |
| English name : | Hermit Crab |
| Family : | Coenobitidae |
| Distribution : | |
| Seychelles Islands : | Aride (Anderson, 1994), and Coetivy (my observation, very common), Aldabra (Beaver, 1991), Amirantes (Haig, 1984) |
| Worldwide : | Madagascar to Line and Gambier islands (Haig, 1984). |
| Ecology : | |
| Habitat : | On the upper side of the beach and between coral stones washed on the beach or under fallen vegetation. |
| Diet : | Detritivorous |
| Activity : | |
| Description : | small terrestrial hermit crabs, with red-orange marks on legs.
|
| Shells used : | |
| Size : | |
| Differences in sexes : | |
| Picture : |   |
| Scientific name : | Coenobita rugosus H. Milne Edwards, 1837 |
| English name : | Hermit Crab |
| Family : | Coenobitidae |
| Distribution : | |
| Seychelles Islands : | Mahé (Anse Intendance, Anse Major), Coetivy (abundant), Aldabra, Cosmoledo, Astove, Amirantes, Farquar (Haig, 1994) |
| Worldwide : | East coast of Africa to Line Islands and Tuamotu archipelago (Haig, 1984). |
| Ecology : | |
| Habitat : | Sandy Beaches, more inland than Coenobita perlatus |
| Diet : | Feeds on both plant and animal matter, on Tortoise faeces, but also on dead tortoises and their stomach contents (on Aldabra), on decaying algae and other organic material along the water line. (Haig, 1984) |
| Activity : | nocturnal |
| Description : | |
| Colour : | Their bodies are whitish with some greyish tingeing over the periopods |
| Shells used : | Nerita sp. |
| Size : | Occupy shells up to 40 mm across |
| Picture : |   |
Family : Coenobitidae
