Christmas Island Crab Migration

Christmas IslandChristmas Island

Science Article: The Christmas Island Red Crab

By Mrs. Carpenter

Christmas IslandChristmas Island

Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement began by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.


Comparing Christmas Island to Comparing Christmas Island to ConnecticutConnecticut

Land Area 52 square miles

Population 1493 (July 2006 est.)

Land Area 5,544 square miles

Population 3,460,503

Berlin 26 square miles


Red CrabsRed Crabs

The best known of the 14 species of crab The best known of the 14 species of crab found on Christmas Island.found on Christmas Island.


Red Crabs are important in the Christmas Islandrainforest ecosystem.They eat fallen vegetation,leaves andfruit and recycle the nutrients contained in this material.Theircylindrical brown droppings scattered over the forest flooract as fertilizer.Their burrowing turns and aerates the soiland they are a major dertiminant of the unique structure andcomposition of the Christmas Island forest by their selectivebrowsing on seeds and seedlings.


The most dramatic animal The most dramatic animal migration in the world is the red migration in the world is the red

crab migration of Christmas crab migration of Christmas Island. Peak Migration lasts for 18 Island. Peak Migration lasts for 18

days.days.



High Dead Tolls Due to VehiclesHigh Dead Tolls Due to Vehicles


To reduce the number of crabs killed by vehicles during the migration,‘crab crossing ’ grids have been built into the roads which cross main crab migration paths,for crabs to pass through.Walls or plastic fencing that the crabs can not climb over are erected along the roadside to prevent the crabs getting on to the road,and to ‘funnel ’ the migrating crabs through the grids and under the road so that they may continue their migration unhindered by traffic.These crab crossings may be seen on most major roads. Other conservation measures used by the communit y are road closures and traffic detours around the major migration paths during peak migration periods.



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Christmas Island Crab Migration