A hermit crab rescuer is sharing a rare look at the fascinating moment of a hermit crab changing shells.
According to SWNS, Angela Sayre, the founder of Crustacean Plantation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to crab conservation and rehabilitation, recently captured the move on camera and shared the clip on social media.
In the video, a hermit crab scuttles amongst numerous shells before choosing one to move into. For several seconds, the hermit crab works to align itself with the opening of the empty shell. Once happy with the placement, the hermit crab gingerly scoots itself out of its brown-striped shell and reveals the lower half of its body, which is usually hidden away.
Unlike the crab’s exposed face and claws, the crustacean’s rarely seen lower section appears smooth, soft, and devoid of any hard armor.
The hermit crab only remains fully exposed for a brief moment. After a quick maneuver, it is out of its old shell and into its new, slightly roomier shell.
Before moving along, the hermit crab tests out its new mobile home, disappearing inside the shell a few times before walking off.
Sayre told SWNS she shared the clip because seeing a hermit crab change shells is “nature at its finest.”
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Unfortunately, hermit crabs can struggle to find homes due to the over-collection of shells. Sayre said she started Crustacean Plantation to raise awareness about shell shortages caused by tourists taking intact shells away from beaches and to help struggling crabs.
“They’re completely vulnerable without a proper home, so finding a good shell is critical to their survival,” Sayre, who is also a banker in Tavernier, Florida, said.
She added that when she started the nonprofit in 2019, many of the crabs she encountered were forced to use bottle caps and other debris because of a shortage of shells. To address the issue, Sayre started collecting donated shells and has accumulated over 18,000 from donors around the world so far.
The founder places the donated shells at “transfer stations,” which are safe spaces for wild hermit crabs to shift through “an elephant graveyard” of shells to find the right fit.
“The crabs seem to know it’s a safe place to find a new home,” Sayre said. “Seeing a crab successfully change shells is incredibly rewarding – it’s a sign we’re making a difference.”
According to Crustacean Plantation, hermit crabs are important to the Earth’s ecosystem. The crustaceans break down debris and help aerate soils. However, the crabs have difficulty doing these jobs if they don’t have a shell protecting their soft lower bodies.
“It stunts their growth and shortens their lifespan,” Sayre told SWNS about what happens when hermit crabs try to live without proper shells.
“When people take shells from the beach, they’re taking potential homes away from hermit crabs,” she added.
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