Thailand's Dusit Zoo in Bangkok on Thursday unveiled two rare coconut crabs for exhibition to the public until Dec 10.

The animals were transferred from Khao Kheow Open Zoo in the eastern province of Chonburi.

The coconut crab (Birgus latro), also known as the robber crab or palm thief, is the world's largest land-living arthropod.
 
When grown at a full size, the crab's body is about 40 cm long, while its weight is up to about 4kg.

According to past records, the biggest palm thief crab weighed 17kg and lived a total lifespan of over 60 years.

While they are unable to swim owing to their breathing with a lung, coconut crabs climb trees and have been reported to picking coconuts and opening them to eat the flesh.

The animals live in moist forests and are mostly found on Christmas Island in Australia's territory of the Indian Ocean. In Thailand, they are found at the Similan Islands in the Andaman Sea off the coast of the southern province of Phangnga.

However, they have become rare and are on the verge of extinction due to changes in the environment and being hunted as human food.

Meanwhile, as inner Bangkok is no longer at risk of being flooded, Dusit Zoo is prepared to bring back its animal inhabitants previously transferred to Khao Kheow Open Zoo during the coming New Year period.