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Its a girl! 2 pics.

Ant

Your one and only pest!
J/k well sort of. I went to the beach 2 days ago. I spent most of my time in the salt water swamp. Caught a bunch of animals but, I forgot my camera! :cry: So here is what I caught.

1 flat clawed hermit crab
1 normal hermit crab (can't remember the common name)
3 green crabs
3 young crabs I couldn't identify
1 pencil fish
1 female fiddler crab
6-8 male fiddler crabs
many minnows with black stripes
some shrimp
1 HUGE female horseshoe crab

Here she is! Me and my little cousin with it.
horseshoecrab2.jpg


And the top of its shell.
horseshoecrab.jpg


Her tail isn't missing, in the top one she was trying to stab me and the second has it under her. If you look into the background you will see a group of people. The aquarium was catching thing to show the people and collecting horseshoe and spider crabs for their empty tanks. I brought her over to show them and they were all talking about how big it is and all and so they call their boss if it would go into any tank they had but, nope she was to BIG! :-)) I brought her back to where I found her and let her go. I did start a exploration of the more remote parts. There may be 2 or 3 more pics to come if they are eventually emailed to me like this.
 
I've always thought those things look so freakish!
 
Horseshoe crabs are just AWESOME!!! Man, you are so lucky to be able to find those, and all them other lil' critters, lol! Thanks for posting pics!
 
Looks like Darth Vader.

xvart.
 
if you want something similiar you should check out triops.
 
nope, triops are small.:crazy:
 
in the top one she was trying to stab me
Horseshoe crabs do not use their telson for defense, ever. It is only there to flip the animal over if they end up on their back somehow.
 
Um, I highly dought that ever since I stepped on a baby one. It felt like a thumb tack! Also I am the only thing to push of of and the telson stabs thing since it has a point. (however dull it is)
 
  • #10
it was probably using it to try and get away. you would sling your telson around to if you wanted to get away.
 
  • #11
That really is a big horseshoe crab. Thanks for sharing :D.
 
  • #12
I highly dought that ever since I stepped on a baby one.
There's a difference between you stepping on something, and the animal actively deciding to use that portion of its body as a weapon. The fact that it's pointed at the end is irrelevant to its function, which is never as a defense mechanism. The only defense they have is armor, and burying themselves.
 
  • #13
Why was it pointed up? NEVER is a pretty strong word and if it was using it to get away I think that counts as deffense.
 
  • #14
Are you seriously arguing with me about this? Hahahahahahahaha.
if it was using it to get away I think that counts as deffense.
Sorry, but the truth isn't subjective. Just because you think so doesn't make it so. The telson does not serve a defensive purpose. Period. Its not a very hard concept to grasp.

Don't believe me? Look at this:
[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]The body ends in a long spine called a "telson" which can be rotated by the crab and is used to right itself when it is accidently (or intentionally) flipped over. The telson is not used for defense and, aside from being hard and pointed, is not dangerous. Many people pick individuals up by their telson.[/FONT][/FONT]
From this: http://www.mbl.edu/marine_org/images/animals/Limulus/animal/index.html

Game over.
 
  • #15
:nono: I am confused at what you are saying cuase how is it gonna flip over if it doesn't stab something? I am saying that it was trying to stab me, that is 100% true. I am sorry if it inplied that it was trying to hurt me. I know it is harmless and I don't care, don't act so smart if you put words in my mouth then prove them wrong. I was stating that wiether it was trying to hurt me or not running away is a deffense.
 
  • #16
It doesn't need to stab anything. The telson rotates and moves side-to-side in order to facilitate turning over/steering.
 
  • #17
Huh? No, I mean that when its on its back doesn't it stab the sand and then spin its telson to flip back over? Thats what it did when I put it on its back to look at is under side. Whatever, I have another pic I am gonna upload.
 
  • #18
The new pic!

underside.jpg
 
  • #20
Is there a way to tell how old she is?
 
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