The period between October and November is an important period for Christmas Island’s red crabs and its inhabitants. The red crabs prepare for their breeding work during the period when the island has a humid environment. Although red crabs live in the forests where they are not seen by humans for most of the year, during their breeding season they migrate to the coast and take over the entire island, showing the world who the real owners of the island are.
After migrating to the coast, the red crabs engage in the reproductive process and this takes at least a week. In this great migration of millions from the forest in the middle of the island to the coast, it is mostly male crabs who lead the way. They come ashore before the female crabs, dig burrows, and make their habitat. They struggle to protect themselves from other male crabs. Although the male crabs migrate back into the wild after mating near the excavated burrows, the females remain in the burrows for an additional period of time to lay eggs and care for them.
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Some time ago, millions of these red crabs, which make a long journey for their breeding work, faced many dangers when they reached human habitation. While crossing the roads, they were at risk of being caught by vehicles and dying by the thousands, and there was a possibility of accidents as their outer frame was strong enough to puncture the wheels of vehicles.
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However, the importance of environmental science and tourism in recent times. Considering the attraction, a number of measures are currently being implemented in the island to avoid inconvenience to crabs and humans during the migration season. During this time, the park is closed to tourists and most of the roads are closed as the highways are covered with crabs to the point where they look like a red carpet.
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