It is never a good idea to get into a scrap with a coconut crab as it has an incredibly strong claw that serves as its weapon. According to scientists, they were able to measure the pinch strength of a coconut crab that inhabits the islands in both Southern Pacific and Indian oceans. The scientists calculated that the claw can exert up to unbelievable 742 pounds or 336.5 kg of force.
The pinch strength of a coconut crab even beats the bite strength of majority of land predators. According to Shin-ichiro Oka, a marine biologist of Japan's Okinawa Churashima Foundation, the pinching force of the largest coconut crab is almost the same with the adult lion's bite force, Science Mag reported.
As the name implies, a coconut crab consumes coconuts. It uses its claw to scrape the fibrous part and break it open. Apart from coconuts, a coconut crab also eats crabs, nuts, carrion, and other fruits. And after molting, it consumes its own exoskeleton. In a nutshell, a coconut crab is the king of crabs and the rest of the crustaceans.
The force of a coconut crab is undeniably remarkable. It is very strong that they can generate approximately 90 times its body weight, according to Oka. The powerful claw of this crab is very useful for self-defense and accessing hard food sources that a lot of rivals may not be able to handle, according to report.
Meanwhile, researchers were able to capture a total of 20 coconut crabs in the island of Okinawa Japan and had them clamp down on steel force sensors. The pinching forces calculated ranged from 29.4 to 1765.2 newtons. Since the pinching force of a coconut crab is essentially correlated to its body weight, the researchers concluded that a 4kg coconut crab should be able to exert a force of 3300 newtons.
Moreover, the claw of a coconut crab is an additional evidence that this type of crab diverged from humble hermit crab for about 4 million years ago. The claw, which is the mighty weapon of coconut crabs are of great help when they shed the need for a protective shell, access hard food sources, and defend themselves against other predators. Watch video about Crushed by Giant COCONUT CRAB