椰子蟹（學名：Birgus latro）又稱八卦蟹，屬於陸寄居蟹科，是一種十足目的節肢動物[2]，它是世界上最大的陸生節肢動物，也是現存最大型的陸生甲殼綱。它分佈在印度洋以及太平洋上的部分地區或是島嶼，遠至甘比爾群島和皮特肯群島，椰子蟹也生活在尚吉巴附近的非洲海岸。
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椰子蟹體重最高可達6公斤，椰子蟹善於爬樹，能爬到樹頂覓食。[3]有人稱椰子蟹為強盜蟹，傳言牠們會從民居和帳篷中偷竊罐和銀器之類的東西。隨著棲息地破壞及人類捕食影響，及椰子蟹在世界上的族群在近年急速減少[4][5] ，1981年，椰子蟹被IUCN紅色名錄列為易危物種，但由於缺乏生物學數據導致1996年被修正為「數據不足」，2018年，IUCN更新其評估為「易危」。台灣已將椰子蟹列入臺灣保育物種列表中。
椰子蟹是一種寄居蟹，能用螯弄破椰子的外殼，以吃其中的椰子果肉，並因以為其名。多數出現於熱帶地區海岸與部分亞熱帶群島海岸，通常在日本南方的伊豆群島與琉球群島中可發現到。而台灣如東海岸、綠島、蘭嶼及恆春半島等地分佈最多。另外世界上其他地方如印度洋和太平洋的熱帶島嶼亦有分佈。
喜愛在海中潤濕鰓或繁殖，白天常躲藏於海邊陰涼的樹林、石頭及珊瑚礁之下，晚間才出沒覓食。食地瓜、椰子、木瓜和花生以及動物屍體為食等，但因為人類也會取用椰子來食用的關係，導致椰子的數量缺乏，使得有些椰子蟹因為食物不足而突然開始轉變成獵食者捕殺紅腳鰹鳥、玻里尼西亞鼠和一些小型蟹類。椰子蟹會爬樹，用鰓呼吸(但不能在水中呼吸)。椰子蟹是卵生動物，於海水中孵化。
它們體重最高可達6公斤，是現存最大型的陸生節肢動物，被認為是島嶼巨型化實例之一。因為善於爬樹，可以到樹頂覓食。它們通常會會用鉗子弄破椰子的外殼，以食用其中的椰子果肉。
《中國大百科全書‧26》，北京；上海：中國大百科全書出版社，第二版，26-152頁
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