They don't actually suck blood!
Paignton Zoo’s Lower Vertebrates & Invertebrates team has bred vampire crabs at the Devon zoo for the first time.
It’s usually found in India, South East Asia and the islands of the Pacific. The spooky name was coined because of it's appearance. They don't actually suck blood!
Keeper Lauren Lane is a big fan: “They are totally amazing! They’re small, active, colourful crabs that live in freshwater in the forests of Java and Indonesia. They are threatened by over-collection for the pet trade. The species was only formally described in 2015.”
Paignton Zoo staff collected adults and juvenile crabs at the beginning of December from Chester Zoo. With the recent hatching of some 60 youngsters, there are now around 80 to look after.
Lauren says: “The females carry the eggs and then they hatch as little ready-to-go crabs. We don’t really see the egg stage as the girls stay hidden. We hope that lots of the hatchlings will survive. We will split them into smaller groups to reduce the risk of them eating each other.”
The vampire crabs will be on show when the revamped Investigate bug house opens later in the year.
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