Rare Purple ‘King Crab' Spotted In Thailand's World Heritage Forest
Thailand's Kaeng Krachan National Park has emerged as host to an exclusive crab species, sporting a vibrant purple colour, unlike any other crab in the world. A viral post left internet users stunned, containing images of the purple crab. According to a translation of the post on Facebook, the crabs were spotted by the park rangers, who also captured them in a series of eye-catching images.
The park officials called it 'precious gift from nature", while also highlighting how rare the species is. 'Officials captured the last glimpse of a 'King Crab,' also known as the 'Sirindhorn Crab' a rare waterfall crab species. This crab, displaying its stunning white and purple colours, was a precious gift from nature," read the shared post.
With the post, Kaeng Krachan National Park highlighted what the sighting of an exclusive purple crab may mean to the ecosystem and biodiversity. The park is also taking the survival of the King Crab as an indicator of the strong health of the forest and a reflection of their sustained efforts in preserving the animals inside it.
'The appearance of the king crab not only marks the discovery of a rare animal, but also serves as a key indicator of the health of the ecosystem in Kaeng Krachan National Park, a World Heritage Site renowned for its incredible biodiversity. The survival of this protected wildlife demonstrates the outstanding quality of the forest's environment," read the park's social media post.
The King Crab, also named Sirindhorn Crab, derives its name from the princess of Thailand, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The crab species belongs to the panda family, according to a report by Popular Science. The panda crabs are usually famous for their white-and-black markings. However, the sighting of a purple crab was still unexpected, as it is a rare variation of the same. Very little information is available about the panda crabs as it is, people know even less about the purple variant.
Why The Purple Colour?
According to a 2012 National Geographic report, Hendrik Freitag of the Senckenberg Museum of Zoology observed in a study that the purple hue of the crab may have developed by 'chance". 'The particular violet colouration might just have evolved by chance, and must not necessarily have a very specific function or reason aside from being a general visual signal for recognition," said Hendrik. The lucky sighting of the species has created a buzz on the internet, leaving users puzzled and amazed.
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