Atlantic Ghost Crab
Ocypode quadrata
The Atlantic Ghost Crab is a fast pale beach crab that digs deep burrows above the tide line on Florida shores.
The Atlantic Ghost Crab is a fast pale beach crab that digs deep burrows above the tide line on Florida shores.
A pale tan, yellow, or gray crab with a square shell, long walking legs, large eyestalks, and two claws of slightly different sizes.
Spends hot daylight hours in a deep burrow and runs across open sand at dusk or night. It moves rapidly and returns to the surf to moisten its gills.
Harmless when left alone. A handled crab may pinch. Watch without chasing and avoid stepping on burrow openings.
Beach and protected-area rules may restrict collection, lighting, vehicles, digging, and disturbance. Sea turtle nesting protections also apply where crab activity overlaps nests.
Habitat:
Beaches and Dunes
Area / Range:
Florida Keys, Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast
Diet:
Mole crabs, clams, insects, carrion, sea turtle eggs or hatchlings, and organic material washed onto the beach.
Behavior:
Spends hot daylight hours in a deep burrow and runs across open sand at dusk or night. It moves rapidly and returns to the surf to moisten its gills.
Dusk, Nighttime, Dawn
Active Times:
Best time to see:
Dusk and nighttime on quiet sandy beaches above the high-tide line
Florida Native Status:
Native
Conservation Status:
Not Federally or State Listed
Safety Level:
Safe to Observe
Safety Information:
Harmless when left alone. A handled crab may pinch. Watch without chasing and avoid stepping on burrow openings.
Benefits to Property:
Scavenges beach debris, recycles nutrients, aerates sand, and feeds shorebirds and other coastal wildlife.
Property Concerns:
Beach driving, heavy foot traffic, artificial lighting, shoreline armoring, and repeated grooming damage burrows and dune habitat.
Fun Fact:
Ghost Crabs change shade to match the sand and use their long legs to sprint across open beaches.
Wildlife Laws:
Beach and protected-area rules may restrict collection, lighting, vehicles, digging, and disturbance. Sea turtle nesting protections also apply where crab activity overlaps nests.
Identification:
A pale tan, yellow, or gray crab with a square shell, long walking legs, large eyestalks, and two claws of slightly different sizes.