hermit crabs – Seashells by Millhill

by Pam

Do Marine Hermit Crabs Kill Snails For Their Shells?

A hermit crab inside a crown conch shell while the snail is still inside makes me question what is going on here?

by Pam

Video of Big Hermit Crab in the Wild

While searching the backwater beach at low tide, I found a big lightning whelk shell encrusted with barnacles. I thought that either it was alive, with the snail inside, or a hermit crab had taken up residence. It turned out to be the latter. Most of the time hermit crabs will quickly duck down deep […]

by Pam

March Hermits in Medium Size Horse Conch

A chilly boat ride took us to Three Sisters, among other places, where we found interesting shells filled with hermit crabs. Often I have seen tiny horse conchs, and a few times we’ve seen massive horse conchs, but this horse conch was medium size. As I waded through the 62 degree water on a 60 […]

by Pam

Mangroves Are Homes to The Shell-makers and Shell Thieves

The shell-makers are the mollusks, or sea snails, which begin life as tiny creatures who will make stunning and intricate homes we call shells. The shell thieves are the hermit crabs who take over the shells once the mollusk has died and left it empty. Let’s be clear, they have to steal these shells to […]

by Pam

Hermit Crabs and Why They Must Fight For Those Seashell Homes!

If you read this blog, you have probably grown tired of me talking about hermit crabs, but here I go again! Usually I am complaining that every awesome shell I come across out in the backwater is inhabited by a hermit crab. This time I am going to tell (and show) you just how […]