My World: Crab Burrows

[Paul Abbott]

I had been walking the beach in Ao Nang, Thailand late in the evening when I saw these weird and beautiful creations. These are crab burrows made by real tiny little crabs. I find them amazing when you consider that these balls of sand patterns are unwittingly made by them in they're excavation...
When you walk near them the tiny things will run to they're burrows and disappear, they're as fast as lightening...

Crab Burrows - Krabi, Thailand '13 - Paul Abbott​

 

[Don Cohen]

This is a really cool shot - natural abstract art work made by crabs!

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Very cool indeed.

 

[Asher Kelman]

I had been walking the beach in Ao Nang, Thailand late in the evening when I saw these weird and beautiful creations. These are crab burrows made by real tiny little crabs. I find them amazing when you consider that these balls of sand patterns are unwittingly made by them in they're excavation...
When you walk near them the tiny things will run to they're burrows and disappear, they're as fast as lightening...

Crab Burrows - Krabi, Thailand '13 - Paul Abbott​

Paul,

Yes it's remarkable! I wonder about the survival advantage of the patterns. does it confuse birds looking for them? Creatures try to hide their burrows. What are the crabs doing underneath the sand? Keeping cool, feeding on insects? The radial architecture is interesting indeed.

Asher

 

[Robert Watcher]

That is amazing. Looks like lots of patterns that could be captured.



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[Paul Abbott]

Thanks, guys.

Asher, you raise some good points about the burrows, although I don't think these patterns in the sand hide they're burrows, they're easily noticed as a result, so i'm not sure. I'd like to see some explanation for this on a wildlife programme...
As for them eating insects, some of these crabs are the same size as a large housefly.

 

[Jerome Marot]

I have seen sand crabs before, but I never noticed these structures. Maybe it is particular to these crabs from Thailand.

Peek-a-boo​

 

[Asher Kelman]

Great discussion here.

 

[Paul Abbott]

Yeah, that's exactly what I was seeing. Some were basic and yet others were really ornate. Thanks for the info on this, Asher.

 

[Maggie Terlecki]

That's pretty incredible and knowing what it is makes it even more so!
Maggie