Mangrove Tree Crab
The Mangrove Tree Crab is a species found almost exclusively on Red, White, and Black mangrove (in areas with lots of beautiful mangrove it's not uncommon to find them on beached driftwood or docks).
The Mangrove Tree Crabs are omnivores, preferring to eat animal matter whenever possible like worms and nematodes, but the bulk of their diet is made up of mangrove leaves of which they need to consume a surprising amount as mangrove leaves are nutritionally poor. In areas where Mangrove Tree Crabs are uncommon, their appetite will constitute up to 90% of the herbivory consumption of the mangrove leaves.
They are preyed upon by birds, mammals, and even larger crabs. But they make their hunters work for their food as they can scurry along the branches as quickly as 1m(3.3ft) a second which is pretty quick for such little buggers! They'll also drop down into the water to escape predators, but this is a gamble as they will definitely be hunted by aquatic predators too.
Photograph by Aces Wildlife Rescue
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