Down to Earth Blog

What's Happening In This Picture?  While on vacation last month at the beach, I saw lots of horseshoe crabs congregating near the edge of the Indian River Bay in Delaware.

I had never seen this before -- usually I only see dead horseshoe crabs or their shells on the beach. But these were alive --what were they doing huddled together in the surf? Eating? Having sex? Protecting each other from sea gulls?

If you can explain this, post the answer here. Or discuss other weird wildlife behavior you have seen.

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• #4 Comment from atrulycandidgirl
  12/20/07 12:54 PM | Permalink

  Ok I live in Delaware and been around these crabs all my life. They are NOT mating. Maybe they are getting READY to mate. But when they mate, the smaller crab (male) gets on the back of the females and hooks his legs around hers and she walks around with him for a couple hours IN THE WATER. They don't mate on land, they lay their eggs there.
• #3 Comment from downtoearthblog Entry Author
  8/8/07 4:52 PM | Permalink

  Thanks daydayr1015 for finding the answer!  I knew it was explainable -- I had just never seen horseshoe crabs doing this before.
  -- Dan Kulpinski
• #2 Comment from daydayr1015
  7/28/07 1:02 AM | Permalink

  Ok, I read your blog and I did a little reasearch and I found that what they're doing isn't weird.What they're doing is normal they're mating, the whole event can go from 2 to about 100 in a pile all mating or trying to mate with the same female.I thought the same as you but it's normal and shouldn't be seen as being weird or out of their behavior.
• #1 Comment from dianekittycat
  7/13/07 8:26 PM | Permalink

  Looks like their tradeing gossip. Maybe their playing cards. Plotting to take over the world. Telling dirty jokes. Getting ready for a orgie. Asking directions. Smoking a joint. Drinking a beer. Planning a party. Having a party. Talking about a party they went to. Working on their tan. Suffering from dementia. Take your pick. All of the above, some of the above, none of the above. Who knows. They do, but their not telling.