Welcome to the
hermit crab page! Did you know that as hermit crabs grow they change shells
for larger ones? When they are about to change shells,
they need to have another shell ready. They try to
change shells when no one
is around so they can do it on their own.
Did you know
that hermit crabs aren't really crabs at all? Unlike a true crab,
hermit crabs have a long abdomen, and they don't have a hard
covering. The shells they use are leftover shells from snails.
They use them for
Sure to Chick Out This Video
the Hermit Crab
you know how hermit crabs communicate?
When its time to mate and have young, they behave like other
crabs. Males find a
female by the odors that a female crab gives off when she is ready
After the male finds a mate, he
might want to spend sometime with her before the mate. Some
males stroke and tap their partners’ claws with their own claws.
In some species, a male will take hold of the female’s snail shell
and carry her around for awhile before mating. In order to mate, hermit crabs have to crawl out of their shell
know that hermit crabs have been heard making croaking sounds.
It is being studied to find out if it is another way for hermit crabs to
communicate, and if it's not, they want to know what it means.
crabs have five pairs of legs that are used for different things. The
first pair of legs have claws. The claws are used for eating and
climbing. The other four pairs of legs are used for walking and used to
People who keep them as pets can see that they are very
fast walkers. Usually the entire body is covered with hard,
calcified armor. The hermit crab does not have this protection on the
hindmost part of its body, the abdomen, which is soft and vulnerable.
you know that Ecuadorian hermit crabs come in many different colors?
Some of these colors are bright yellow, dark grey or orange. More
often they are tan, but they sometimes have a tint of blue on their
bodies or on the insides of their legs. They also can have a purple
or red pincher.
crabs live on the Pacific seashore around the tidal pools and high
pools. They also live on beaches, sandy shores, in their shells,
and in people's homes. (They make very good pets for little kids.) Did you know
that hermit crabs can be found almost all over the world? Well, they
you know what hermit crabs eat? Well they eat almost anything such
as fruit, veggies, and cereal. Mashed bananas work best for growing
crabs and strawberries work best for growing pinchers. Also hermit
crabs like to eat hermit crab food. That is a mixture of octopus
brains and raw fish. As pets, hermit crabs can also eat nuts and meat (although uneaten meat should be removed
In the wild, hermit crabs are
scavengers. They will eat seaweed, dead fish, and other stuff that
washes up on shore.
you know that hermit crabs must hatch in water? Like other crabs, they
grow by shedding their ex-skeleton. During this time they need to
be moist, and they should be able to bury themselves.
Other Interesting Facts |
you know that hermit crabs are nocturnal? They move around more at
night then during the day.
- Did you also know that when hermit
crabs get a drink of water they use their claws to scoop it up to
their mouth? They do that by dipping their claws into the
- Did you know that hermit crabs are
arthropods which is the largest group of animals (it includes
insects and spiders)?
- Did you know there are 800 species
of hermit crabs?
"Hermit Crab." World Book Online Reference Center. 2006. World Book Online Reference center. 2006 24, Feb. <http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar254180>.
Rubin, Dawn. "Choosing a
Hermit Crab." PetPlace.com. 5 May 2006 <http://www.petplace.com/reptiles/choosing-a-hermit-crab/page1.aspx>.
hermit crab created by teammate Marissa.
Permission to use photograph
hermit crab in spotted shell, hermit crab on branch, hermit crab
looking at you, and hermit crab
on rocks is granted under the terms of the GNU
Free Documentation License from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page>.
of colorful hermit crab from "Microsoft
Office Online" <http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=en-us&cag=1>
February, 2006. Clip art available only to licensed users for non-commercial