#hermit crabs | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

discovery-at-sea · 1 year

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(May 12, 2023) We are raising money for a crowd funded research project investigating the cause of blueberry hermit crabs in Okinawa, Japan using trash found on the beach as “homes” instead of natural shells. These hermit crabs are endemic to the southern islands of Japan, and they act as coastal environmental engineers. They are endangered on several islands, and we want to try and understand why they are resorting to beach trash for shells. Please consider sharing this post and donating to the project. The fundraising will be active for the next 45 days (until June 26).

You can find all project details here: https://experiment.com/projects/blueberry-hermit-crabs-with-beach-trash-homes

We suspect that areas with high rates of tourism lead to beach combers collecting natural shells leaving nothing for the hermit crabs to use. It’s possible that overfishing of turbo snails which would naturally provide shells for the crabs may also be a factor. We will survey many sites across several islands in Okinawa to try and determine a cause of this behavior.

We will be working closely with national geographic photographer Shawn Miller (photo credits above) and several researchers in Japan. Additionally, we will complete extensive beach clean ups in the areas we study. Thank you so much for reading!

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stamp-it-to-me · 7 months

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a 1966 Australian stamp depicting a white-spotted hermit crab

[id: a postage stamp with an illustration of a hermit crab. the hermit crab is red with white spots and has a brown and white shell. end id]

#snail mail #stamps #postage #australian #animals #crabs #ask to tag #hermit crabs #mod fave

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bunnyb34r · 2 months

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I love seeing people post pictures of their hermit crabs online, bc we're all like "omg so cute!!" or "aww he's having fun!" And the crab in the picture is like

👁_👁

#marquilla #it never fails to make me laugh #one was like 'they found the new food!!' and theres two crabs looking at the camera like 👁.👁 dgdgdgdgd #hermit crabs

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happycrabitat · 2 months

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Scuttles getting a drink

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clawmarks · 1 year

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Lehrbuch der Zoologie : für höhere Lehranstalten, die Hand des Lehrers und für alle Freunde der Natur - Otto Schmeil - 1930 - via e-rara

#scientific illustration #sea creatures #corals #crustacea #Hermit Crabs

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uncharismatic-fauna · 11 months

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Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Although they may not look it, coconut crabs and hermit crabs are closely related! The resemblance is strongest when coconut crabs are young; in their early juvenile stages, their shells are thin and soft, and they use seashells to protect themselves just like a hermit crab.

(Image: A young coconut crab (Birgus latro) with a borrowed shell by Drew Avery)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

#coconut crab #Decapoda #Coenobitidae #hermit crabs #crabs #decapods #crustaceans #arthropods #uncharismatic facts

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turochamp · 3 days

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he continues to be my most photogenic crab, striking a pose

#bugs that eat poop #hermit crab #hermit crabs

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jellyselkie · 9 months

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KONGZOO 🦀 Hermit Crab In Summer Blindbox Figures 🌊

#blindbox #figures #hermit crabs #hermit crab #crabs #🦀#ocean aesthetic #sea aesthetic #sea witch #ocean witch #mermaid kin

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mindblowingscience · 2 months

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Hermit crabs all over the world, which scavenge shells as armour for their bodies, are turning increasingly to plastic waste instead. The conclusion is based on analysis of photos, taken by wildlife enthusiasts, and published online. Scientists said they were "heartbroken" to see the extent to which the animals were living in our rubbish. They said two-thirds of hermit crabs species were pictured in "artificial shells" - items that humans discarded. The discovery is published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

#Science #Animals #Enviroment #Ecology #Life Science #Marie Biology #Plastic #Trash #Waste #Hermit Crabs

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hometoursandotherstuff · 9 months

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I had a pet hermit crab and never knew this.

#hermit crabs #other stuff

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screechingjellyfishnight · 24 days

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A BITCH GOT NEW SHOES AND JIBBITS AND LOOK AT THEM

MOFUCKIN HERMIT CRAB ON MY CROCS.

#crabs #hermit crab #crab #hermit #hermit crabs #cute #lol #crab posting #crocs #crocs with charms #croc shoe charms #jibbitz charms for crocs

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aquaticplushies · 8 months

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Hermit Crab made by Wild Republic !!

#plushies #plushie #plush #plush toy #plushblr #plushcore #stuffies #stuffed aminals #stuffed animals #marine animals #aquatic life #hermit crab #hermit crabs #crab #crabs

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fbwzoo · 2 years

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Hey- I was wondering if there's any way I can help/contribute to the effort to end/change wild caught trade? I would love to be a part of something so cool

I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED. Thank you for activating info dump mode, I hope you enjoy your experience!

There are SO many ways to help work towards changing/ending hermit crab wild capture. Some may not seem as connected as others, but they all help with the overall goal of educating people about hermit crabs, valuing them, and respecting nature.

The more we can teach people that they shouldn't be cheap "disposable" pets, that they can live for decades instead of months, and how the wild caught trade is decimating populations, the less demand there will be for it. Play to your strengths and do what you can. Even small things make a difference!

(This post will have a ton of links, so please share since it'll probably get blocked from tags!)

Casual Advocating

- share a cool fact with class or with your friends! "Hermit crabs can live over 40 years" "Hermit crabs can lose legs due to stress, but can grow them back when molting" "Hermit crabs live in the ocean as zoea (babies) for up to a month before they become land hermit crabs" ...I could go on & on. 😂

- Remind friends & family not to bring hermit crabs home from beach shops, & not to take shells off the beach. Sometimes they have marine hermits in them, even if they look empty. These crabs will die without an established saltwater aquarium or being returned to the beach.

- Know someone interested in getting hermit crabs? Try to gently steer them away from pet stores & tell them about Land Hermit Crab Owners Society's adoption program! Or if they already have crabs, ask if they've heard of LHCOS & Crab Street Journal (original site), or send them to the websites or Facebook group for science-backed care info.

- If you know a teacher who wants to get a classroom pet, or maybe already has some crabs as classroom pets, tell them about the Claws in the Classroom program! They can get lots of help with a proper set up & free supplies for their crabs, as well as activity sheets & lesson plans. Having crabs in a classroom can be a big commitment, but LHCOS is happy to help, as it's a wonderful way to show kids proper care & teach them how cool hermit crabs are. Many beach stores and pet shops target kids with the bright painted (and toxic) shells, so we gotta beat them to their audience!

- Simply show people pictures of the captive bred babies! They're so freaking adorable, it's hard not to fall in love with them. 🥰

(Pictures all from Mary Akers' site)

More Direct Advocating

Some of these things may require being more involved in the crabby community or going out of your way with time & materials. If you want to advocate in person with events & pet stores, make sure you stay polite, friendly, and helpful! LHCOS aims to educate people without making them defensive or alienating others from our mission.

- Talk to pet stores in your area. See if they're willing to check out LHCOS, or make some changes to improve the store set up. Chain stores may be more limited with this, but it's worth a try. Independent pet stores may be willing to listen & learn about what supplies to promote over others, or even to avoid carrying hermit crabs at all. CSJ has printable info sheets you can offer, including a pet store appeal letter.

- Spread care information. On Craigslist in the pet section, on Facebook, on other social media. Make a post in your neighborhood FB group about not buying crabs at the beginning of the summer. I know someone who recently started putting business cards with LHCOS info next to the hermit crab supplies in chain pet stores. Hand out info at local pet events in your town!

- Contact people in charge. Hermit crabs are often still used as prizes at carnivals and fairs, and crab races are sometimes included at these events. If you hear about an event doing this, contact those in charge and try to educate them. Ask them to cancel or discontinue the use of hermit crabs in these things. It's especially prevalent around beach towns. We have a group member who has tried for years to get a Miss Crustacean Pageant in her area to stop exploiting hermit crabs, but no luck yet. But she still goes every year to hand out care information to whoever will take it.

- Attend Crab Con! It's absolutely amazing. You can get lots of great deals on food, supplies, & hermit crab merch, and spend the whole weekend learning & talking about hermit crabs! What's not to love? It's going to be in person in Virginia in 2023, but there will be an online part as well, for everyone who can't make the trip!

- Rescue crabs in your area! Check craigslist, kijiji, and similar sites. Facebook banned animal sales, but I still found my new crab on marketplace. Just be prepared to deal with crabs in poor condition - look up the Post Purchase Death Reduction method and learn what to do for limb loss, surface molts & naked crabs.

- Adopt crabs from the LHCOS adoption program, or adopt captive bred babies. This can be a great way to get crabs that are healthier than rescues. If you're able to adopt from those who do a lot of rescue work, you also free up space for them to help more crabs in need. Adopting captive bred babies obviously helps support the breeding program. Plus, you get hermit crabs that have never been abused or neglected! They've been loved & cared for since day 1. Just make sure you join the FB group for baby crab owners! They have some specific needs that are a bit different from bigger crabs.

- Volunteer with LHCOS. This is one where you'll need to be in the community for some time first, and you'll need to be reliable. But if you're really interested in hermit crabs and want to get involved, you can look into becoming a local representative for the organization, or becoming one of the educational people who go to reptile shows with a LHCOS booth. There may be other areas that need help, but Stacy would be the one to contact about that once you've been around a bit.

- Donate! Saved this for last bc there's a bunch of different places and ways you can donate. All of these are important parts of the overall mission!

Mary Akers, founder of Hermit House Captive Breeding

Darcy Madsen, certified breeder with Hermit House & runs Crab Central Station YouTube (second link is their website)

Land Hermit Crab Owners Society

Claws in the Classroom, you can donate money through the LHCOS PayPal above, or you can contact Stacy/LHCOS about donating supplies.

Shell donations - The Classroom program can often use shell donations to give teachers. There are also 3 different people who currently work to provide wild hermit crabs with safe shells in Taiwan, Japan, and Florida, USA! Scroll down that link for their addresses.

Painted shells - you can donate these for use with educational booths with the address listed here.

LHCOS & Mary also have stores where they sell hermit crab supplies & merch, if you want to grab some cool stuff while supporting them! The other stores on that list all sell safe hermit crab supplies, and many of us do rescue, advocacy, & donate to CITC as well.

I know this was a LONG answer, but there's just so many ways to make a difference for hermit crabs! It takes an army to stand up for these amazing little guys. I hope this helps and you can join me in being known as a weird hermit crab person!!