{"id":20616,"date":"2022-09-20T15:52:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-20T13:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=67814"},"modified":"2022-09-20T16:13:35","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T14:13:35","slug":"why-do-crabs-walk-sideways","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/why-do-crabs-walk-sideways\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do crabs walk sideways?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By BBC Wildlife Magazine\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 20 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Most crabs walk sideways but some still prefer to walk forwards, such as the lumbering spider crabs, which use the sharp tips on their legs to climb sheer rock faces, and the hermit crabs<\/a><\/strong>, which carry their seashell homes around on their backs.<\/p>\n

It is thought that crabs evolved from an ancient crustacean body plan that, like those of shrimps and lobsters, included a large tail. Though this appendage enables a lobster to swim backwards quickly when faced with a predator, it is heavy and cumbersome, especially out of water.<\/p>\n

It also means they can only walk forwards, which is not ideal \u2013 not only is it slower, but since a lobster\u2019s long legs are arranged in two rows either side of its body, they tend to get in the way of each other.<\/p>\n

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