The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries is asking for our help in finding blue land crabs in North Carolina. Cardisoma guanhumi is a non-native species to the Carolinas, and they look like giant fiddler crabs. Biologists are asking for the public’s assistance to learn more about why the blue crabs are here, where they are, and their possible impacts on the environment.

These crabs are native to the Atlantic coast from Brazil to South Florida, but a few sightings have been reported in South Carolina since 2008.
Emerald Isle, NC 28594, USA
Town of Emerald Isle, NC/Facebook
The first confirmed blue land crab sighting in North Carolina was spotted in Emerald Isle, North Carolina in the summer of 2023, which is where we'd like to show up too.
Biologists suspect we may see the crabs following heavy rains which can drive them from their burrows.
Filo gèn', CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
And while we expect them to be blue, their colors vary.
http://www.birdphotos.com, CC BY 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Adult males are usually blue-gray, but females can also be white or ash-gray.

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The juveniles can range from vibrant orange to purple, and to dark brown.
laxoch, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
The crabs also take a while to grow and have an unusually long lifespan, reaching maturity at four years old and surviving up to age 11.
Filo gèn', CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Blue land crabs are hard to catch because they are so fast at hiding in their deep burrows underground.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
And watch out for their large pointed claw - these guys have serious tools to defend themselves.
Researchers are trying to learn the extent of the crab's distribution throughout the Carolinas and how it might impact the environment and other wildlife.
I, Ianare, CC BY 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons
They are also trying to learn how these critters arrived here.

Watch this video about the first crab spotted at beautiful Emerald Isle, North Carolina.

If you see a blue land crab in North Carolina, biologists ask that you take pictures and report the date and location. To report any sightings, go to the S.C. DNR reporting form for blue land crabs. More information is available on the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality website.

And if you’re visiting Emerald Isle and need a place to stay, find a cozy Vrbo.

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