Monstrous. That was the only word Charles Darwin could find to describe the coconut crab when he first saw one for himself.Of course, anyone whos ever seen this animal can tell right away that its no ordinary crustacean. As the largest land crab in the world, the coconut crabs size alone is intimidating. It weighs up to nine pounds, stretches three feet long, and can carry more than six times its own body weight.Epic Wildlife/YouTubeA coconut crab, also known as a robber crab, climbs a trash can in search of something to eat.Back in Darwins time, many ominous tales spread about coconut crabs.Some told stories about them climbing a tree and dangling from it for hours holding on with nothing more than a single pincer. Others claimed that their claws could break through a coconut. And some believed that they could tear a human being apart, limb from limb.Ever skeptical, Darwin didnt believe most of what hed heard. But eerily, none of it was really an exaggeration. Since then, weve found out that every story about what a coconut crab can do is more or less true.Why The Coconut Crab Is So PowerfulWikimedia CommonsThose who have been pinched by a coconut crab say it hurts like eternal hell.The coconut crab sometimes called a robber crab boasts powerful pincers, which are some of the most dangerous weapons in the animal kingdom. Experts say a pinch from this crab can rival a lions bite. So theres no question that they can do some terrifying things with their claws.But the good news for humans is that the crabs dont usually use their claws on us. As the name suggests, the coconut crabs main source of food is coconuts. And since most of these creatures live on islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, they usually have no trouble finding their favorite food.Still, its a bit unnerving to watch a coconut crab break open a coconut with nothing more than its bare claws. Its even more unsettling when you learn that coconuts arent the only things that they can tear apart.As omnivorous creatures, coconut crabs are willing to eat both plants and animals. Theyve been known to kill birds, feast on kittens, and rip apart pig carcasses. Eerily, theyve also been known to practice cannibalism and they will rarely hesitate to eat other coconut crabs.In short, almost nothing is off the menu for a robber crab. Theyll even eat their own exoskeletons. Like most crabs, they shed their exoskeletons to grow new ones. But when their old, molted shell falls off, they dont leave it behind in the wild like other crabs. Instead, they eat the whole thing.How The Robber Crab Gets Its FoodWikimedia CommonsCoconut crabs on Bora Bora, pictured in 2006.Thanks to their strong pincers, these crustaceans can climb just about anything they see from the branches of a tree to the chains of a fence. Despite the coconut crabs size, it can hang off an object for hours.This is one of the main ways they get their food especially their beloved coconuts. By climbing to the tops of coconut trees and knocking the fruit off, they can treat themselves to a nice meal once they climb down.But as one might expect, they dont just climb trees to get coconuts. They also scale branches to hunt for birds attacking them at the top of the tree and then dragging them down to the burrows where they live.In 2017, scientist Mark Laidre described their attack strategy in horrific detail. It was on an island where the birds stayed at the very tops of the trees to avoid coconut crabs. However, they werent always able to escape.In the middle of the night, I observed a coconut crab attack and kill an adult red-footed booby, said Laidre, a biologist who has studied the crustacean. The booby had been sleeping on a low-lying branch, less than a meter up the tree. The crab slowly climbed up and grabbed the boobys wing with its claw, breaking the bone and causing the booby to fall to the ground.But the robber crab wasnt quite done torturing its prey yet. The crab then approached the bird, grabbing and breaking its other wing, Laidre continued. No matter how much the booby struggled or pecked at the hard shell of the crab, it couldnt get it to let go.Then, the swarm came. Five more coconut crabs came to the site within 20 minutes, likely cueing in on the blood, Laidre recalled. As the booby lay paralyzed, the crabs fought, eventually tearing the bird apart.All the crabs then took a hunk of meat from the mutilated birds body and quickly carried it back to their burrows so they could have a feast.Did Coconut Crabs Eat Amelia Earhart?Wikimedia CommonsAmelia Earhart, pictured here shortly before her disappearance in 1937. While her exact fate has never been determined, some believe that Amelia Earhart was eaten by coconut crabs after crashing on an uninhabited island.Coconut crabs dont usually try to hurt people, but there have been exceptions. Humans are their only predators (aside from other coconut crabs), and when theyre targeted, they will strike back. Some people who live on islands in the Pacific Ocean have found that out the hard way. While searching for coconut husks, some locals have made the mistake of putting their fingers into the crabs burrows. In response, the crabs would strike giving people the worst pinch of their lives. So theres no question that a robber crab would attack humans if provoked. But would it eat one of us? If so, that leads us to one of historys most bizarre mysteries: Did coconut crabs eat Amelia Earhart?In 1940, researchers found a fractured skeleton on Nikumaroro Island that had been torn apart. Its believed that this may have been the body of Amelia Earhart the famous female aviator who disappeared somewhere over the Pacific Ocean in 1937. And if that body indeed belonged to Earhart, then some experts think she may have been consumed by coconut crabs.Its worth noting that the mystery of what happened to Amelia Earhart has never been completely solved. But according to this theory, Earhart crashed on the uninhabited island and was left either dead or dying on its beach. Like the red-footed booby, Amelia Earharts blood may have lured the coconut crabs who were living in the islands underground burrows.A team of scientists ran a test in 2007 to see what the coconut crabs would have done to Amelia Earhart if they found her body on the beach. They left a pig carcass at the site where Earhart may have crashed.Just as they imagined might have happened to Earhart, the robber crabs emerged and tore the pig to shreds. Then, they dragged the flesh down to their underground lairs and ate it right off the bones.If that indeed happened to Earhart, then she may have been the only person on Earth who was eaten by coconut crabs. But as horrific as this hypothetical death sounds, you probably dont have to worry about something like this happening to you.The truth is that coconut crabs often have more reason to fear humans than the other way around.Can You Eat Coconut Crabs?Wikimedia CommonsAs one might imagine, the coconut crabs size means that this crustacean has plenty of meat.For all the talk about this animals terrifying eating habits, some adventurous foodies might be curious as to whether they can eat coconut crabs themselves. As it turns out, coconut crabs are indeed edible for humans.On some islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, these crabs are served as a delicacy or sometimes even as an aphrodisiac. So many locals have enjoyed eating these crustaceans for centuries now. And visitors on the islands have also enjoyed giving them a try. Even Charles Darwin once admitted that the crabs were very good to eat.One way that locals on the Atafu atoll prepare this crab is by making a pile of coconut fronds, putting the crustaceans on top, covering them with more fronds, and then lighting the whole pile on fire. Then, they rinse the crabs in the ocean, put them on plates weaved from more fronds, and use coconuts to break open the shells of the crabs to get to the meat. The coconut crab is said to taste buttery and sweet. Interestingly enough, the abdominal sack is reportedly the best part of the crab. To some, it tastes slightly nutty while others swear it tastes just like peanut butter. Some eat the crab with coconut, while others enjoy the crustacean by itself. Considering the coconut crabs size, it makes a pretty filling meal on its own.However, just because you can eat them doesnt necessarily mean that you should. In recent years, the overhunting and over-harvesting of coconut crabs have led to fears that they may be threatened or even endangered. In addition, a few coconut crabs may be dangerous to eat if the animals have fed on certain toxic plants. While most people eat the crustaceans without a problem, cases of coconut crab poisoning have occurred. But considering how scary these animals are when theyre alive, it almost seems fitting that theres a bit of a risk consuming them after theyre dead.From the coconut crabs massive size to its powerful claws, theres no question that its one of the most terrifying and unique creatures on Earth. And for hundreds of years, this crustacean has certainly left a big impression on anyone lucky enough or unlucky enough to encounter it.After learning about the coconut crab, take a look at the craziest types of animal camouflage. Then, check out the most dangerous animals on Earth.The post Why The Coconut Crab Is The Crustacean Of Your Worst Nightmares appeared first on All That's Interesting.