PDF] Why do fiddler crabs build chimneys?

It is shown experimentally that burrows with a chimney are less likely to be located by an intruder and spending less time feeding and more time underground than non-owners. Chimneys are mud mounds built by fiddler crabs that encircle the entrance to their burrow. Their function in many species is unknown. In Uca capricornis, crabs of both sexes and all sizes build chimneys, but females do so disproportionately more often. There are no differences in the immediate physical or social environments between crabs with and without a chimney. Chimney owners spend less time feeding and more time underground than non-owners. We show experimentally that burrows with a chimney are less likely to be located by an intruder. It is possible that some crabs construct chimneys around their burrow to conceal the entrance and reduce the risk of losing it to an intruder.

Fiddler crabs Papercraft

PDF) Burrows with Chimneys of the Fiddler Crab Uca thayeri

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PDF) Burrow structure and use in the sand fiddler crab, Uca

Fiddler crabs and their above-ground sedimentary structures: a

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Why do fiddler crabs build chimneys?

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An illustrated key to the fiddler crabs (Crustacea, Decapoda