Publications

The coconut or robber crab Birgus latro in the Chagos Archipelago and its captive culture at London Zoo

There is a large and healthy population of the coconut crab, Birgus latro in the Chagos, with substantial local populations on Iles Boddam and Takamaka in Salomon Atoll and on parts of Diego Garcia, especially at Minni-minni. Five individuals were taken for a captive breeding programme at London Zoo. The capture technique and culture conditions are described. Only one individual from the Chagos survived during the captive culture programme. However, the observations on behaviour made at London Zoo, and the distribution data collected during the 1996 Chagos expedition provide a baseline for future long term study.

Authors

Barnett L , Emms C .

Year

1

ISBN-13

9781841030036

Keywords

crabs, Coconut crabs, Captive culture, Moulting, Culture conditions