Hermit crab wood and stone are used by some species). The tip of the hermit crab's abdomen is adapted to clasp strongly onto the columella of the snail shell. Most hermit crabs are nocturnal. Hermit crabs can be divided into two groups: As hermit crabs grow, they require larger shells. Since suitable intact gastropod shells are sometimes a limited resource, vigorous competition often occurs among hermit crabs for shells. The availability of empty shells at any given place depends on the relative abundance of gastropods and hermit crabs, matched for size. An equally important issue is the population of organisms that prey
Long-tailed hermit Long-tailed hermit The long-tailed hermit ("Phaethornis superciliosus") is a large hummingbird that is a resident breeder in Venezuela, the Guianas, and north-eastern Brazil. This species is commonly referred to as the eastern long-tailed hermit, but it is likely, following recommendations from Gary Stiles in February 2006, that the new name will be adopted by most authorities. The taxonomic history of this group is complicated, with similar hermit populations from both sides of the Andes being originally classed as a single long-tailed hermit species. The western population was then split as the western long-tailed hermit, "P. longirostris", leading to the renaming