Description

Hairy Land Crab (Tuerkayana hirtipes) is a species of terrestrial crab belonging to the family Gecarcinidae. Originally described by James Dwight Dana in 1851 as Cardisoma hirtipes, it was later reassigned to the genus Tuerkayana in 2018 following a taxonomic revision.

Physical Description:

This species is characterized by a smooth, distinctly inflated carapace and exhibits a blue to blue-brown coloration, distinguishing it from other members of the genus Discoplax, which typically display purple hues.

Distribution:

T. hirtipes has a wide distribution across the western Pacific Ocean, including regions such as southern Japan, Taiwan, southern China, Palau, Guam, eastern Australia, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Habitat:

T. hirtipes inhabits coastal forests, often in areas with limestone outcrops. The bottoms of their burrows typically hold fresh water, and they are known to migrate to the coast to spawn during summer spring tides, usually at night.