It all started with a day at the beach. We were enjoying the waves and typically gritty sandwiches when my grandson discovered a hermit crab. He picked up the walking shell and learned just how quickly the little inhabitant could withdraw into safety. Only tiny, hairy looking "feet" remained visible in the shell's opening.
The kids, of course, knew they could not take the little crab home but they wanted to keep him until we left the beach. So I ended up as the appointed crabsitter while they went back into the water. It wasn't long before another hermit crab was discovered and came to join the first. After retrieving the creeping shells several times, I proceeded to build a makeshift fence out of a sunscreen bottle, a rock, and a loaf of bread.
I turned my back for just a moment and the crab in the darker shell climbed over the sunscreen bottle and made off across the picnic table at a clip. The one in the lighter shell was just peeking out of its shell and slowly creeping around the perimeter of the fence. I returned the escaping crab but he lost little time repeating his tricks. This happened several times and I realized the first crab was more "outgoing" and aggressive than the shy, second crab.
Before leaving that day, the kids said goodbye to the little creatures and returned them to where they were found. Back home, I did some research on hermit crabs.
I learned that hermit crabs are misnamed as they really do enjoy the company of other hermits, and pet crabs actually learn to respond to owners. They often display individual personalities and shy crabs can be trained with frequent misting and talking. One site said that, with lots of gentle treatment, they will "talk" to you with their chirping noises, walk on a leash fashioned from a small chain similar to a necklace that hooks to a little jewelry cap glued to the shell, and respond to their name. You may wonder what kind of names are given to pet crabs. How about Shelly, Crabzilla and Leonardo de Pinchi?
I also learned that hermit crabs have ten jointed legs, two large pincers, two eyes on stalks, and an exoskeleton that supports their body. They do not have their own shell but seek out discarded shells and must find larger ones as they grow. Large crabs will, on occasion, use a soda can if nothing better can be found. Hermit crabs breathe air but have gills that need moisture. If they have just the right environment, they can live 25 to 30 years in captivity and one hermit was reported to have been found during WWII and lived until the late 80's. They are scavengers and are, for the most part, nocturnal.
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