Sally Lightfoot crab

Second Life ninjas create many items that call forth emotions tied into First Life. But how often have you seen something amazing in real life and thought to yourself, “That reminds me of Second Life!”

From the Galapagos Islands, here’s a real borderline creature, the Sally Lightfoot crab. But don’t take my word for it, here’s what John Steinbeck once said:

Many people have spoken at length of the Sally Lightfoots. In fact, everyone who has seen them has been delighted with them. The very name they are called by reflects the delight of the name. These little crabs, with brilliant cloisonné carapaces, walk on their tiptoes, They have remarkable eyes and an extremely fast reaction time. In spite of the fact that they swarm on the rocks at the Cape .. they are exceedingly hard to catch. They seem to be able to run in any of four directions; but more than this, perhaps because of their rapid reaction time, they appear to read the mind of their hunter. They escape the long-handled net, anticipating from what direction it is coming. If you walk slowly, they move slowly ahead of you in droves. If you hurry, they hurry. When you plunge at them, they seem to disappear in a puff of blue smoke—at any rate, they disappear. It is impossible to creep up on them.

Worthy of Second Life beaches, and that’s saying something.