Georgia wildlife officials are asking the public for more information after several recent sightings of invasive blue land crabs in coastal Georgia.
GEORGIA, — Georgia wildlife officials are asking the public for more information after there’s been several recent sightings of invasive blue land crabs in coastal Georgia, according to a Facebook post.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resource Division says the large, non-native crabs are native from Brazil to South Florida and can be as large as five to six inches. Officials say although the crabs have been spotted in coastal Georgia, they’ve also been found along the south Atlantic coast, including in North Carolina and South Carolina.
“Even though they are called blue land crabs, they are not all blue,” the post states. “Adult males more often have the blue coloring, but females can be white or gray, and when younger, their colors can be even more varied.”
The crabs “somewhat resemble a large fiddler crab,” the post states, with one claw larger than the other. A common behavior out of the crabs, is for them to burrow themselves into the ground, as they are most likely seen when heavy rain drives them to the surface, the post states. While uncertainty exists about the “potential ecological and economic impacts of the species,” concerns exist about the damage caused by the crabs during burrowing activities, officials say.
Officials are encouraging the public to take photos and report sightings of blue land crabs here.
