Why do crabs walk sideways?

Water Animals

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by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

To you it might look silly, but the reason a crab walks sideways is because that’s how it can move the fastest, due to the way its legs are built!

Take a look at a picture of a crab. You can probably see that its legs have two joints – one up near the crab’s body and another in the center of its leg. The joint that is up near the crab’s body can allow the crab to move forward but is restricted in a way that only allows a crab to move slowly in this direction.

To move more quickly, crabs can use the other set of joints in their legs, which work a lot like our knees. It’s because of the placement of these joints and their range of motion that crabs end up walking sideways. – It’s just like how the placement of your knees can only bend forward… a crab’s can only bend sideways!

Here are some neat facts about crabs!

There are about 10,000 known species of crabs in the world.

Female crabs often carry their eggs underneath their bodies for several months before the eggs hatch!

Crabs are classified as crustaceans, which includes other marine creatures such as shrimp and lobsters. Believe it or not, the biggest known crustaceans are crabs! The Tasmanian crab and the giant crab take the prize; a giant crab can measure up to 12 feet in length from end-to-end of its legs, and a Tasmanian crab can weigh up to 20lbs!

Have you learned any other interesting things about crabs or crustaceans??