Crabs left the sea not once, but several times, in their evolution

Most terrestrial plants and animals departed the ocean for land only once in their distant past

A photo of a land crab in the Cook Islands

Crabs, such as this one from the Cook Islands, have colonized nearly every type of habitat on Earth, popping up everywhere from deep-sea hydrothermal vents to steamy mountainside jungles.

Vicente Fores Photography/Moment/Getty Images

Most terrestrial plants and animals left the ocean a single time in their evolutionary history to live ashore.