On Christmas Island, crabs have their own bridge. But why?
Jim McMahon/Mapman ®
It’s a warm day on Christmas Island. You’re walking along the beach when you hear click-clacking sounds. You turn to see millions of bright-red creatures coming toward you. They’re crabs! Welcome to one of the biggest animal migrations in the world.
A Dangerous Journey
Stephen Belcher/Minden Pictures
Large Crabs
A Christmas Island crab is about 5 inches long. That’s about the same length as your hand!
A migration is when animals (or people) move from one place to another. Every year between November and January, millions of crabs on Christmas Island take part in a migration. They travel from the forest to the beach. This is where they go to lay their eggs.
But it’s a dangerous journey. The crabs have to cross busy streets to get to the beach. Many crabs get crushed by cars driving on the roads.
Luckily, people on the island stepped up to help. They built a giant bridge over one of the island’s busiest streets. They also built tunnels under other roads for the crabs to creep through. Now the crabs can safely crawl to the beach and lay their eggs!
Special Pathways
Shutterstock.com
The bridge on Christmas Island is a type of wildlife crossing. These special pathways help animals safely cross roads. And the U.S. is full of them! Panthers run over bridges in Florida, while turtles crawl through tunnels in New Jersey.
On Christmas Island, the crab bridge has another benefit. It lets people watch an amazing animal migration. After all, it’s not every day you see millions of crabs crossing a bridge!
Fact Finder
Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Journey across another wildlife crossing alongside deer, mountain lions, and black bears in “This Bridge Could Save Their Lives”—a story about protecting animals in Washington State.
Read another story about humans helping animals in “Night of the Grizzlies.” Journey to Montana’s Glacier National Park and discover how suspicious grizzly bear attacks actually inspired humans to step in.
Encourage your students to protect other precious animal species in “Saving America’s Wolves,” “How to See a Baby Orangutan,” and “Saving the Dolphins.” There are video components, skill builders, and quizzes too.
