• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Animals / How Do Crabs Live Out of Water On Land and Breathe Air With Their Gills When They Have No Lungs?

How Do Crabs Live Out of Water On Land and Breathe Air With Their Gills When They Have No Lungs?

May 31, 2020 by Karen Hill

True crabs are crustaceans that have a short projecting “tail” or reduced hidden abdomen, while others such as hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs and crab lice, are not true crabs.

how do crabs breathe on land

Crabs can be found in oceans all over the world, and many crabs in tropical regions live in freshwater and on land. They are usually covered with a thick exoskeleton, and armed with a single pair of claws.

Crabs have gills to extract oxygen from the water like a fish, and do not have lungs. But they can survive for long periods out of water, and some crabs live almost exclusively on land.

They can do this and survive comfortably if their gills are kept moist. The water on the gills will absorb oxygen from the air which can then be used by the gills just like if it was in the ocean.

By finding cool, dark and moist hiding places when on land, they can keep their gills from drying out and avoid predators. Plates around their gills also help seal in moisture and prevent water loss.

Many crabs that live on land also obtain water from their food and surrounding habitat, which they can then store in their blood, bladder and specialized compartments in their bodies.

Crabs love to walk sideways and have complex behavior patterns.

Related Facts

  • Do all Salamanders Lose their Gills and Develop Lungs and can they Breathe Underwater?
  • Where do Germs, Bacteria, and Viruses come from and How do they make us sick?
  • What was the European Age of Exploration?
  • How Does Hot Water Freeze Faster Than Cold Water?
  • Why Does Tea or Coffee Taste Better When Made With Fresh Water and Why Does Stale Water Taste Flat?
  • Why Does Hot Water Put In the Freezer Freeze Faster Than Cold Water and How Is Convection a Factor?

Filed Under: Animals

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Can Crabs Swim Underwater or do they Just Walk Along the Ocean Floor Looking for Food?
Next Post: How did the Electric eel get its Name and Where does it Come From? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy