Hermit Crabs Are Increasingly Using Plastic Trash As Homes
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Most crabs have strong exoskeletons to protect them from predators. However, hermit crabs are born with soft bodies. They have usually lived inside sea shells or old snail shells. But, a recent study by Polish scientists has found that the tiny crustaceans are increasingly turning to trash for refuge.
For their research, the team looked at hundreds of images of hermit crabs on social media. They found 386 examples of the crabs living inside artificial shells. Eighty-five percent were using plastic caps, while the rest chose metal or glass trash. This behavior was seen in 10 of the 16 species of land-dwelling hermit crabs, all the way from Africa to Central America.
"We confirm for the first time that the use of artificial materials by hermit crabs is a behavior occurring on a global scale," the researchers said.
The study was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment on February 25, 2024. It did not explore the potential harm of artificial shells to hermit crabs. However, a 2019 study found that over half a million hermit crabs on a remote Indian Ocean island die every year. They get trapped inside plastic items like bottles.
Researchers are unsure why hermit crabs are choosing artificial shells. But they have several theories. Some believe the crustaceans are struggling to find natural shells and are using whatever else they can find. Others think plastic may be a more attractive option because it is lighter and easier to carry. It may also provide better camouflage in an environment filled with trash.
"When I first saw these pictures, I felt it was heartbreaking," study co-author Marta Szulkin told The BBC. "But at the same time, I think we really need to understand that we're living in a different era, and animals are making use of what's available to them."
Resources: Smithsonian.org, WashingtonPost.com, NPR.org
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49 Comments
laylarory13 daysI hope that the one trapped in the glass bottle is okay!
paredoilia13 daysIt’s sad how the evidence is right in front of some people yet they continue to do nothing about it. Plastics have integrated themselves so deeply into our environment that it would take years to get rid of at least most of it.
hree024 dayswow
becilolo-16922942193028 daysI like hermit crabs as well and they can make good pets
summer_beach23 daysYes, they can make good pets (I had some for a while) but the way they are harvested is heart breaking so for that reason I wouldn't recommend buying them.
naturelover59about 1 monthStop littering, people! Please, it's really bad for you and the tiny cute hermit crabs!(They ARE very cute.)
omghiabout 2 monthsthis is really sad:( we need to stop dumping trash into the ocean.- dogo23randyabout 2 monthsbad news
spot_kitty1012 monthsThis is so bad. No won should litter on the beach because it is bad for everyone and the animals to.
i_love_yall2 monthsThis is horrible. If you just see it and leave it it so wrong to do that. We need to help them because they won't live longer if we keep throwing trash on the beach. This could cause extinct if they die and gets to its babies.
the_void2 monthsI actually have hermit crabs.