Sanibel beaches are home to a very special little creature that can be found in all different species of shells. They can be easily spotted in shallow water areas near the shore, especially when shelling. These creatures are called hermit crabs! Hermit crabs have a hard exoskeleton and a soft abdomen that requires them to utilize a discarded shell. 

Hermit crabs go through molting periods, just as any crab would do. They have an exoskeleton that sheds as they outgrow it. The catch is that their exoskeleton is only at the front of their bodies. Their back side is very soft and needs extra protection; this is where the use of discarded shells comes into play. 

Once a hermit crab comes upon a new shell that could be a possible new home, they will size themselves up to the shell. Oh no! It’s too big, what on Earth will they do now? Since hermit crabs often live in close proximity to one another, several hermit crabs can be found waiting around one big shell. In the meantime, they will size each other up and will arrange themselves from biggest to smallest in a line while they wait for a large crab to make an appearance. Once they do, a large crab will then exchange shells with the vacant one, leaving behind its old shell. The next in line will then take the discarded shell and, once again, leave behind its shell for the next in line. Each crab needs to find a shell because if they are left without one, they become vulnerable to predation. 

You can be a great steward for our oceans by double-checking all shells next time you go to the beach. Hermit crabs can hide far up in the shells, making them hard to spot, causing the shell to appear empty. If you find a hermit crab, examine it more closely. Does it look like the shell fits the crab right? Maybe it looks like the crab just moved into its new home? See what you can learn through careful observation before gently releasing it back to the sea!