What’s the purpose of the Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab’s giant claw? Museum Keeper Jason explains that for male fiddler crabs, the oversized claw makes up over half their body weight and works as a weapon, a warning, and most importantly a billboard for romance. Standing in front of his burrow, he waves it back and forth to attract a female. If he loses it, he can grow a new one after several molts. It’s usually weaker, but since showing off matters more than strength, he manages just fine. #Zoo #

Did you know we have fiddler crabs in Maryland? They live on beaches, mud flats and marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. The Bay is home to three species of fiddler crabs: the marsh fiddler crab, the sand fiddler crab, and the red-jointed fiddler crab. Fiddler crabs are detritivores eating algae, bacteria and decaying marsh plants. They are colonial animals that dig burrows in the mud, which can be up to two feet deep! Fiddler crabs are distinctive because of their one large claw, which