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
Hermit of Tong in London, 1829. Renewed interest in Hobday's work has created a strong drive to locate this painting, as its value has increased significantly, reputed to be worth 800,000 pounds sterling. Hermit of Tong "The Hermit of Tong" is a missing/lost masterpiece of the English artist, William Armfield Hobday (1771–1831). The painting is a portrait of Carolus, aka Charles Evans, resident Hermit on the estate of Colonel Durant, Tong Castle, Shropshire, England. In the biography of William Armfield Hobday, printed in Arnolds' Library of the Fine Arts in 1831, the painting and hermit are described as follows: ""If, as it is