Hermit crabs

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Hermit Crabs

Transcript of Hermit crabs

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Hermit Crabs

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A hermit crab does not have its own hard shell.

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�It starts out as an

egg which is laid in the ocean.

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While in the ocean, the eggs hatch. At first, they look like brine shrimp.

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They stay in the ocean growing slowly until they resemble their parents and can climb back on land.

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Hermit crabs have soft stomachs or abdomens. They are easily gobbled up by birds or small

animals as they come ashore.

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�Once on land, these tiny hermit crabs must

find shelter or they will die.

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So for protection, a hermit crab usually lives in a shell. It carries its home wherever it

goes.

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A hermit crab's soft body is naturally flexible and can twist easily to fit into the spiral

interior of a snail’s shell

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When it finds a shell, the hermit crab's abdomen forms to the shape of that shell. For most of its life, a crab will

prefer shells with the same shape because it's comfortable for them.

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Some species of hermit crabs live in the ocean. These particular crabs do not make good pets.

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Most adult hermit crabs are from 1/2 inch (13 mm) to 4 3/4 inches (121 mm) long.

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Hermit crabs are both herbivorous (plant eaters) and scavengers. In the wild, hermit crabs feed on

animal and plant remains, overripe fruit and droppings from other animals.

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Hermit crabs are crustaceans.

All crustaceans have hard skin, gills and two pairs of antennae.

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A hermit crab has round eyes on the end of eyestalks.

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A hermit crab has five pairs of legs or ten legs in all. Not all of the legs are fully developed.

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Only six legs show. These front six legs are known as walking legs.

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Hermit crabs keep their four back legs inside their shell. The back legs are much smaller than the walking

legs.

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The front pair of legs ends in claws, or pinchers. The left front leg is usually larger than the right claw and has a large pincher. The crab uses this large pincher for moving

around and defending itself.

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When the crab is hiding inside its shell, it uses this pincher to seal off the shell’s opening. The right front leg has a smaller pincher, which the

crab uses to eat and drink.

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Some hermit crabs only live for 2-3 months, but some can live up to 20-30 years.

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They have an exoskeleton, or outer skin, which they moult to grow.

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Moulting is a process of shedding their exoskeleton so they can grow a little.

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How many times a crab moults depends on its size, health and habitat. If it is not living in ideal conditions it will moult less often and if it lives in a good habitat, it will

moult whenever it feels like it.

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Hermit crabs grow very slowly, only about a millimeter a year, so they will not need a new shell

right after shedding their skin. Moulting has nothing to do with switching shells.

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When a hermit crab does outgrow its shell, it switches to a larger one. Some species switch shells even if the

shell still fits.

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Hermit crabs seek out abandoned shells for protection from predators.

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When a hermit crab finds one of the proper size, it pulls itself inside, leaving several legs

and its head outside the shell.

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Different hermit crabs like different kinds of shells, and they also

enjoy “shopping” for shells. Hermit crabs will spend a lot of

time checking out new shells

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Shell changes take a matter of seconds, and depending on the species, can happen on an almost

weekly basis or take months or years.

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In places where discarded shells are hard to come by, hermit crabs may cover themselves with a coconut shell, a piece of bamboo, or

anything else they may find.

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Hermit crabs are nocturnal and are busiest at night. They are social creatures that do best when

they live in groups.

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In the wild, they may travel in packs of up to 100 crabs, scavenging the beach for food and shells.

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If you choose to have a hermit Crab as a pet, remember they are social creatures. Your hermit crab will enjoy living with other hermit crabs. There are

many books that can help you learn to set up the right environment and care for your new pet.

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References   Audrey Pavia (2006). "What is a hermit crab?". Hermit

Crab. Volume 51 of Your Happy Healthy Pet (2nd ed.). John Wiley and Sons. pp. 13–22. ISBN 978-0-471-79379-3.

  Sue Fox (2000). "About hermit crabs." Hermit Crabs: a Complete Pet Owner's Manual. Barron's Educational Series. pp. 5–10. ISBN 978-0-7641-1229-4.

  Hermit crab - Wikipedia, (January 18, 2014), en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit_crab