New Spider-Like, Tree-Climbing Crab Species Found

The species was first spotted by an indigenous tribe in south India’s lush forests.

by Deepa Padmanaban

A striking new species of crab has been found living in tree-holes high above the ground. The animal, which fits in the palm of a human hand, has a deep bluish black body that stands out against the tree bark that it prowls for worms and seeds to eat.

Scientists discovered the crab—named Kani maranjandu—in the lush forests of the Western Ghats in south India. It’s an entirely new genus and species named after the Kani, the tribal community that noticed the crabs, and maranjandu, the local colloquial term for tree crab…

Read more: National Geographic

photographs by Appukuttannair Biju Kumar