Mind-Blowing Clip Shows Teeny-Tiny Baby Horseshoe Crab Perched On Fingertip

While animals of all sizes should be appreciated, today, we are going to focus on the tiny ones. What is it about super small creatures that make them irresistibly adorable? There are the more obvious ones, like baby quail. But even certain spiders can look surprisingly cute. Then there are baby horseshoe crabs.

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Despite their name, they are not crabs or crustaceans. In fact, they’re more closely related to spiders and scorpions. But don’t let that deter you — they are super cool! For starters, when they are still babies, they can fit on your fingertip. Get a super close look at these little guys in the video below!

Within the first year of life, a baby horseshoe crab molts a number of times. This is how they grow. At first, their shells are translucent. But as they get older, the shells darken. But that’s not even the best part about their amazing appearances…

Under UV light, these creatures glow! This is true no matter the horseshoe crab’s age, but their glow is especially brilliant when they are young. See for yourself in the mesmerizing video below!

These creatures are odd, but clearly they’re doing something right. According to scientists, there are fossils of ancient ancestors to the horseshoe crab that go back 445 million years. That’s 200 million years before dinosaurs first appeared! In turn, they’re often called “living fossils.” It’s no wonder they’re so many people’s favorite animal!

“Oh my god they’re so small. How do any of them survive to adulthood?” a commenter writes, posing a good question. Another admits, “If I could figure out a way to have a fully functioning farm on a boat, I would never leave the water.”

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!