---
title: "Caribbean Land Hermit Crab"
description: "Coenobita clypeatus — Other animals. The Caribbean hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus), also known as the soldier crab, West Atlantic crab, tree crab, or purple pincher (due to the distinctive purple claw), is a species of land hermit crab native to the west Atlantic, Belize, southern Florida, Venezuela, and the West Indies."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/caribbean-land-hermit-crab
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Caribbean Land Hermit Crab

> Coenobita clypeatus — Other animals. The Caribbean hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus), also known as the soldier crab,  West Atlantic crab,  tree crab, or purple pincher (due to the distinctive purple claw), is a species of land hermit crab native to the west Atlantic, Belize, southern Florida, Venezuela, and the West Indies.

- Scientific name: *Coenobita clypeatus*
- Category: `other` (Other animals)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 11862
- Wikidata: [Q1183820](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1183820)
- iNaturalist taxon: [133675](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/133675)

## Names

- en: Caribbean Land Hermit Crab
- de: Karibik-Landeinsiedlerkrebs
- es: Cangrejo ermitaño caribeño
- fr: Cénobite des Caraïbes
- nl: Caraïbische heremietkreeft

## Countries with the most observations

PR (2033), US (1351), MX (1262), VI (684), CR (614), BS (586), DO (509), BZ (400), CU (388), GP (322), JM (299), MQ (266)

## Summary

The Caribbean hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus), also known as the soldier crab,  West Atlantic crab,  tree crab, or purple pincher (due to the distinctive purple claw), is a species of land hermit crab native to the west Atlantic, Belize, southern Florida, Venezuela, and the West Indies.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caribbean_hermit_crab

## Photo

![Caribbean Land Hermit Crab](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/caribbean-land-hermit-crab/medium.jpg)

Photo: Yolanda M. Leon · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/311225078

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/caribbean-land-hermit-crab?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).