The Latin origins of the species name, brevimanus, come from the adjective brevis ("small") and the noun manus ("hands").

Eventually, when they reach full adulthood, they are brownish red with violet shading on their limbs.

[2] They also have a disproportionately large dark purple pincher and long black eye stalks which they can easily be identified by.

Compared to other species in their genus, they do not prefer large gastropod shells, and the armored variation of this crab, in which a tougher exoskeleton is present, specifically likes small shells that only cover their body past their third pair of walking legs.

Although their availability and demand has risen in recent years, they are not commonly kept as pets due to their size, but they are the largest land hermit crab known to be in captivity.

They usually reside inland and away from the coastline in moist environments such as rainforests because they do not like to get wet, but still require a high amount of humidity.

[4] The present record of this species suggests a continuous distribution from the east coast of Africa to the south-west Pacific Ocean.

They have also been known to prey on smaller species of hermit crabs, such as C. rugosus, making them not only scavengers, but also predators.