Millions of "zombie crabs" have taken over a local area in Cuba.

Okay, so first things first: as I was researching this article, I found out that "zombie crabs" are actually not zombie crabs. Well, sort of?

Zombie crabs are called such because they act as a host for two fly species that depend on them for shelter, nutrients, and transport. In addition, the flies lay their eggs near the crabs' eyes in order to travel into the body and feed on microbes. Then, after a period of time, the fly larvae will migrate to the crabs' gill chamber and the mouthparts, before falling onto the ground to grow as flies.

Um ... yuck!

Despite causing headaches for residents in Cuba, the zombie crabs don't pose any threats. So we can all breathe a sigh of relief! No apocalypse happening any time soon.

But still, the thought of millions of crabs crawling all over the place paints a terrifying picture ...

This surge in the zombie crab population is due, in part, to the COVID-19 pandemic, reports say.

"There was very little traffic, and very little tourism," said Angel Iraola, a local resident. "There are more crabs now than there have been in many years."

"We use the mop to scare off the crabs so as not to kill them. They are animals," another Cuban resident said.

Zombie crabs are typically found in the Caribbean. They're omnivorous scavengers and feed on plants.

What do you think of these zombie crabs? Share your thoughts in the comments below.