Hey kids: Horseshoe crabs are harmless
Recently on my way to work, I heard a local newscaster tell listeners that horseshoe crabs are mating, so they should be careful with their children when around them. Just in case you are concerned, I want to make it clear how harmless these wonderful creatures are.
I have studied horseshoe crabs (Limulus Polyphemus) for more than 10 years and usually spend three to five days on local beaches teaching people about them.
Their claws are used to pick up small pieces of food and to move the food into their mouth. Their telson (tail) is used to right them when they are upside down. They physically cannot extend their telson to a perpendicular angle so that it sticks straight up. Kids cannot get stuck with the tails.
These are truly living fossils that have gone unchanged over millions of years. They are extremely beneficial to the world of science and medicine. Their eggs bring many species of migratory shorebirds to our area — some of which are endangered.
We encourage folks to help by turning them over so they can survive on the beach. We also encourage folks to examine them — they are pretty cool creatures
BJ Silver
Moss Creek
This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Hey kids: Horseshoe crabs are harmless."