Why do crabs walk sideways?
In: Biology
Crabs have a wide, flattened shape that makes it easy to burrow into sand or squeeze into narrow crevices, but also restricts the range of motion at the ‘shoulder’ joint of each leg.
Crabs can actually shuffle slowly forward, but move much faster by flexing the second joint of each leg. These joints are simple hinges, like our knees, and they only bend sideways.
There are a few species of crabs that can move forward more efficiently than other crabs because their bodies are shaped in a way that makes them longer than they are wide. Examples of these crabs include Raninids, Libinia emarginata, and Mictyris platycheles
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