Ecology of Sulawesi. Tony Whitten

      Coconut crabs generally shelter in burrows in the old coral other rocks around the coast or under coconut leaves and pandan roots. These burrows are analogous to the shells they have abandoned. They bring large pieces of food into their shelters and remain there for a few days eating. It is possible that the crabs moult in these burrows to provide protection from anything that might endanger them during this critical time. A newly-moulted crab is largely defenceless and its body is soft and easily damaged.

      If a food item is too large to move, a coconut crab will defend it from all other competitors such as other crabs and rats. Apart from coconut and pandan fruits, two of their most common foods, coconut crabs will eat virtually anything organic from moulted crab exoskeletons to other crabs, and decaying wood to unwary birds. In captivity they will readily take lettuce, cabbage and live giant African snails Achatina fulica as well as a wide range of other food (Reyne 1939).