• Hermit Crab

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  Hermit Crab information and facts:

  Name: Hermit Crab
  Scientific Name: Paguroidea
  Found: Worldwide
  Diet: Omnivore
  Size: 2-10cm (0.8-4in)
  Weight: 200-500g (7-18oz)
  Number of Species: 500
  Average Lifespan: 1-10 years
  Conservation Status: Threatened

• Hermit crabs are different to most other crab species, as their soft bodies are not protected by a hard shell. Instead, they find homes in the shells of other molluscs, discarding these and finding bigger ones as they grow. This habit and their cute appearance have made them a favourite animal of many children.

• Hermit Crab video.
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  What does a Hermit Crab look like?

  They may be brightly coloured. There eyes are on stalks which protrude from their shelly homes. Some species have a huge right claw, some have a huge left claw, whereas in others the first pair of claws is equal in size. Depending on the species, Western Australian hermit crabs are small (only reaching a maximum length of six millimetres) or reasonably large (up to 13 centimetres long).
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  Where do Hermit Crabs live?

  Of about five hundred known species, most are aquatic and live in varying depths of saltwater, from shallow reefs and shorelines to deep sea bottoms. However, tropical areas host some terrestrials.
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  What does a Hermit Crab eat?

  Hermit crabs are largely scavengers, so they are not particularly fussy eaters as they usually consume dead and decaying animals.
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  What are the natural enemies of the Hermit Crab?

  Unfortunately, people are the biggest threat to these creatures, as many thousands of them are accidentally collected with shells every year and die a slow death without water or food, and others are taken deliberately for pets. The larger shells which are needed by hermit crabs growing out of their shells are also prized by shell collectors, so this also causes problems for these animals.

• Hermit Crab images

  
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