{"id":33953,"date":"2015-12-06T06:27:24","date_gmt":"2015-12-06T13:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=33953"},"modified":"2026-01-28T07:56:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T13:56:38","slug":"a-ghost-crab-at-fort-de-soto-county-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/12\/06\/a-ghost-crab-at-fort-de-soto-county-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Atlantic Ghost Crab at Fort De Soto County Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AtlanticAtlantic Ghost Crab on a sandy beach – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I wanted to share a few images of Atlantic Ghost Crabs I took at Fort De Soto County Park<\/span><\/a> in May of 2009. I was walking the beach looking for birds to photograph when I saw this Atlantic Ghost Crab on the sand and I couldn’t resist taking images of it. The name “ghost crab” derives from their pale coloration and because they are generally nocturnal.<\/p>\n

Atlantic Ghost Crabs are common in tropical and sub-tropical regions throughout the world in intertidal areas. They dig deep burrows that some times have a second entrance. These crabs are prey for some of the wading birds at Fort De Soto County<\/span> Park<\/a> and Honeymoon Island State Park in Florida and I have also seen gulls prey on them.<\/p>\n

\"AtlanticAtlantic Ghost Crab at the water’s edge – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Atlantic Ghost Crabs will search the beaches for carrion like fish that have washed up on the shore but they too are predators and will prey on small animals, sea turtle eggs and hatchlings and other crabs.<\/p>\n

I am not sure why this particular Atlantic Ghost Crab was out of its burrow during the day but I was happy that I had the opportunity to photograph it.<\/p>\n

\"AtlanticAtlantic Ghost Crab eyestalks above the water – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The crab left the water’s edge and moved into the shallow water and I laughed out loud while I photographed it because it looked rather funny to me to only see it’s eyestalks above the surface. The crab may have been wetting its gills with seawater because they breathe oxygen through their moistened gills.<\/p>\n

I left the crab in the water after this frame and went down the beach looking for birds.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Atlantic Ghost Crab photos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am not sure why this particular Ghost Crab was out of its burrow during the day but I was happy that I had the opportunity to photograph it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":167677,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[354,25,704,2000,99],"tags":[4039,5072,4846,5229,5132,674,670,4787,4786,3999,9949,173,4077,9948,11881,1090,11880,827,4106,4017,4788,3996,7502,4119],"class_list":["post-33953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ghost-crabs","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-wildlife","tag-beach","tag-burrows","tag-carrion","tag-coast","tag-coastal","tag-crab","tag-crabs","tag-eyes","tag-eyestalks","tag-ghost-crab","tag-gills","tag-gulf-coast","tag-gulf-of-mexico","tag-intertidal-areas","tag-marine-animals","tag-ocypode-quadrata","tag-ocypodinae","tag-predators","tag-prey","tag-sand","tag-sea-life","tag-water","tag-waters-edge","tag-waves"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ghost-crab-eyes-mia-mcpherson-6987.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-8PD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1487,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/11\/28\/ghost-crab\/","url_meta":{"origin":33953,"position":0},"title":"Atlantic Ghost Crab","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 28, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"This Atlantic Ghost Crab image was taken on the Gulf coast of Florida while I still lived there.","rel":"","context":"In "Atlantic Ghost Crabs"","block_context":{"text":"Atlantic Ghost Crabs","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/ghost-crabs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ghost Crab in burrow at Honeymoon Island State Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ghost-crab-mia-mcpherson-florida-6875.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ghost-crab-mia-mcpherson-florida-6875.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ghost-crab-mia-mcpherson-florida-6875.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ghost-crab-mia-mcpherson-florida-6875.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":396,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/08\/22\/hungry-heron\/","url_meta":{"origin":33953,"position":1},"title":"Hungry Yellow-crowned Night Heron","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 22, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"It didn't take long for the Yellow-crowned Night Heron to grab the crab and send the sand flying.","rel":"","context":"In "Atlantic Ghost Crabs"","block_context":{"text":"Atlantic Ghost Crabs","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/ghost-crabs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Yellow-crowned Night Heron tearing up a Ghost Crab, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-devouring-crab-florida-1420.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-devouring-crab-florida-1420.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-devouring-crab-florida-1420.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-devouring-crab-florida-1420.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7264,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/01\/26\/bird-images-from-warmer-days-and-all-at-300mm-or-less\/","url_meta":{"origin":33953,"position":2},"title":"Bird Images From Warmer Days And All At 300mm Or Less","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 26, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Gray skies, freezing temps and the inversions are beginning to get to me so I thought I would share some bird images from warmer days on Fort De Soto County Park's north beach in sunny Florida.","rel":"","context":"In "Atlantic Ghost Crabs"","block_context":{"text":"Atlantic Ghost Crabs","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/ghost-crabs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Yellow-crowned Night Heron adult devouring a Ghost Crab, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-ghost-crab-mia-mcpherson-1428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-ghost-crab-mia-mcpherson-1428.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-ghost-crab-mia-mcpherson-1428.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-ghost-crab-mia-mcpherson-1428.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2661,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/07\/07\/red-knots-a-species-on-the-edge\/","url_meta":{"origin":33953,"position":3},"title":"Red Knots – A Species On The Edge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 7, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Red Knots are on the edge of extinction and without further regulation of Horseshoe Crab harvesting in North America plus additional protection and conservation measures for Red Knots they may well disappear in our lifetime.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Flock of Red Knots flying by at Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-knots-flock-flight-mia-mcpherson-8626.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-knots-flock-flight-mia-mcpherson-8626.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-knots-flock-flight-mia-mcpherson-8626.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/red-knots-flock-flight-mia-mcpherson-8626.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2624,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/07\/02\/juvenile-yellow-crowned-night-heron\/","url_meta":{"origin":33953,"position":4},"title":"Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 2, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"This young Yellow-crowned Night Heron moved very slowly and it seemed to do that deliberately.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Immature Yellow-crowned Night Heron with a crab, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-juvenile-crab-florida-mia-mcpherson-4572.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-juvenile-crab-florida-mia-mcpherson-4572.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-juvenile-crab-florida-mia-mcpherson-4572.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-juvenile-crab-florida-mia-mcpherson-4572.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6048,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/09\/04\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-or-orange-eyed-day-heron\/","url_meta":{"origin":33953,"position":5},"title":"Yellow-crowned Night Heron or Orange-eyed Day Heron?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Despite having \"Night Heron\" in their name Yellow-crowned Night Herons (Nyctanassa violacea) are not strictly denizens of the dark, they can and do stalk their prey during the daylight hours too.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Yellow-crowned Night Heron looking for breakfast, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-mia-mcpherson-7955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-mia-mcpherson-7955.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-mia-mcpherson-7955.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/yellow-crowned-night-heron-mia-mcpherson-7955.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}