This is a Horseshoe crab (or at least, I fear, an ex-Horseshoe crab) being held by Littleboy 2. You find the shells all over the beaches here, and they are beloved of the boys, especially my younger son, who has no fear of creatures*.
I do wonder sometimes if he will have a career as a naturalist. He will pick up ants, ladybirds, beetles and bugs, and inspect them gently, before putting them back on the ground - not pulling their legs off or harming them in any way. He always wants to pet dogs, stroke cats and look at birds (although the latter he is also inclined to chase...).
He adores crabs, and the other day at the beach, pulled a live one of these crabs out of the water and started waving it around, while we lamely advised from the shore: "Er, put it back, darling." Considering these creatures are pretty huge and rather prehistoric-looking (my brother-in-law, visiting this weekend, said they reminded him of Doctor Who monsters), this was remarkably fearless of him.
The fascination with crabs also extends to wanting to eat one - so I have had to promise him dinner at a 'crab restaurant'. Whether or not he will actually put one in his mouth once we are there, remains to be seen........
*This post is for this week's Gallery over at Tara's. Subject: Creatures.
12 comments:
I have a hysterical bit of video footage with the kids and a crab in Brazil which I must show you (somehow - technology defeats me at present).
Your boys would love it.
Great photo btw!
LCM x
Wonderful creatures, and rather tasty too...
I used to go crabbing as a child.
He's braver than me! Wouldn't have been able to hold that. There's something I don't like about crabs...
makes me think of a young Gerald Durrell...
I've seen live ones that big but never dared to hold one, just smaller ones. They are very strong! Great photo :)
I remember once, around 3 years ago, that we took both Boys to a restaurant that served crab. Husband ordered one for lunch, and Boy #1 interestedly watched him pull it apart and eat it - and then asked him when he was going to put it back together again and set it free... Bless.
That thing looks huge! He is braver than me to pick up a live one!
I bet the fish restaurants in your area are amazing. The crabs look amazing, what a fantastic thing to have them on the beaches.
LCM - sounds interesting - crabs and Brazilians, hmmm.....
Mud - I'm particularly partial to the soft shell ones. Not sure what a horseshoe crab would taste like, though..
The Madhouse - I've never done it but my husband can recount many happy holidays with a crab net...
Deer Baby - I always check it's not alive first...
NB - well, he could do worse
Jen - They are pretty massive, aren't they? You should see the full (non-dead) version....
Glummy - neither of them are really afraid of any animal. Yet....
PM - Ahhh.....
Rosie - And me!
Lorna - yes, they do seafood very well around here. The crabs are cool, although I don't particularly want to swim into one....
Hahaha........I would have run away if my daughter pulled a crab out of the sea.
Brave little boy there.....and cute picture
I'm pretty sure that those crabs are in fact pre-historic creatures - like alligators. They've not evolved much in a long time. I stood on one once, never ever again! He's brave your LB2!
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