By Cordelia HsuSYDNEY (Reuters) - Unusually dry weather has delayed the annual migration of millions of Christmas Island red crabs from the island's interior to the sea where they mate.
There are over 100 million red crabs on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, much of which is designated as a national park.
Authorities say "exceptionally dry" conditions have put a dampener on this season's migration, where the mass of red crabs usually blocks off traffic in a normal year.
This year is the first time the crabs have migrated as late as February since Parks Australia started tracking migration in the 1980s, he added.
The migration sees the crabs journey from the interior of the island to the ocean, where they mate.
Persons:
Cordelia Hsu SYDNEY, Brendan Tiernan, Cordelia Hsu, Alasdair Pal, Michael Perry
Organizations:
Authorities, Parks Australia
Locations:
Sydney