The marine life around Socotra is rich and diverse, but I am focusing on the flora and fauna on land. However, I had a short window of opportunity during low tide where I encountered this red-eyed reef crab (Eriphia smithii).
Erissel is the easternmost point of Socotra. It is a windswept low-lying area governed by the elements. During cyclones the wind and sea wreak havoc on the landscape here, reshaping everything. Only the hardiest of plants and animals thrive here. The Red Sea ghost crab is well adapted to these changing conditions and in most […]
The north-facing beach of the tip of Erissel is wide and deep, with a large part only tasting the waves during monsoons. This is perfect conditions for the male Red Sea ghost crabs, as they can create these towers undisturbed by the tides and waves. The crabs only have to deal with the effects of […]
I found plenty of this species at this location and no signs of competing species. They thrive here next to a large date grove, where I rested in their pleasant shade. It has a peculiar forked tip on the dactyl (the movable part of the claw) of the large claw.
This is one of many hermits roaming the beaches of the western cape of Socotra. Please help me identify it – leave a comment 🙂
I found a surprising number of freshwater crabs at this permanent pool of water. Some were under water others were preparing for a day hidden from the sun under rocks or in cracks, like this one. Yet another example of the incredible diversity of life on Socotra, as this is not the only endemic species […]
I found a surprising number of freshwater crabs at this permanent pool of water. Some were under water, some were wandering out in the open, others were preparing for a day hidden from the sun under rocks or in cracks. Yet another example of the incredible diversity of life on Socotra, as this is not […]
From a distance I first thought there were no marine crabs on the cliffs of Socotra as I was picturing bright red ones like those of Galapagos. When I had some time on a small beach on the way to Shuab beach of west Socotra I did see lots of crabs, but the were colored […]
From a distance I first thought there were no marine crabs on the cliffs of Socotra as I was picturing colorful ones like those of Galapagos. When I had some time on a small beach on the way to Shuab beach of west Socotra I did see lots of crabs, but the were colored in […]
I found a huge number of this species. At night they were crawling everywhere on land – wherever I walked these crabs were foraging. These shots are at sunset, and they were very busy on the beach. None of the other beaches I visited had a population like this.
Quite far from any lake or river I encountered this crab on one of the trails in the forest around SouthWild Pantanal. As the rain showers become more frequent in addition to the water from the Chapada dos Guimarães, the limited waterways of the dry season is transformed to a large wetland. At this time […]
This Anaa beach was teaming with hermit crabs of sizes from just a few milimeters to about 10 cm. A sign of good health on many levels, as the crabs need food as well as a supply of empty shells to fit their ever changing sizes. With insufficient food supply for the shells, the hermit […]