Return of the Yeti Crab

Remember the dancing Yeti Crabs? They’re back! Check out this amazing illustration of two farming Yeti Crabs by Irene Goede:

Image may be NSFW.
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So white, so hairy.. I want to pet them!

Irene is a freelance illustrator who has specialized in nature and history. Every week, she draws an animal that has been in the news for the kids section of NRC Handelsblad‘s science supplement. You can find a selection of her illustrations here.

I love how realistic, yet playful and full of character these Yeti Crabs are. Judging from its carapace, the depicted species seems to be Kiwa hirsuta (which is the hot vent variety, not the species that lives near cold seeps).

I fell in love with Yeti Crabs from the moment I learnt about their peculiar existence below the sea. I’m delighted that the first piece of art I bought myself features these weird and wondrous creatures.