The red crab is a Christmas Island, Australia, original found nowhere else in the world. But on its home turf it is a very significant species—some 120 million individuals cover the rain forest floor and play a major role in determining the structure of the ecosystem.

These large crabs are active during the day but prefer to stay in the shade and can die in the moisture-robbing heat of direct sunlight. They scavenge on fallen leaves, seedlings, fruits, and flowers, recycling nutrients and helping to determine the spread and composition of native flora.

Most of the year red crabs are solitary dwellers of the burrows they dig throughout the forest. During the dry season they retreat into these shelters to retain body