Hermit Crab

Description:

Hermit crabs are unusual in that they use shells of other animals ( mainly snails ) as their homes. They seem to be always looking out for a “better” home and can frequently be seen battling other hermit crabs for the good shells. Hermit crabs are almost never seen without a shell. Hermit crabs can be identified by looking for small greenish and reddish legs protruding from a snail shell. Some have a blue stripe on the tips of their legs while others have white stripes. Adult Hermit crabs are generally about an inch long but very large specimens have been observed.

Habitat:

seen in a tidepool at mendocino bay