I thought I lost my hermit crab until he turned up four years later… alive

7. And the hermit crab has a system for choosing the perfect shell

I figured that when a hermit crab needed to swap shells, it would just scurry along until it came to the next bigger shell of the bunch. However, the process is a bit more sophisticated. Hermits can be pretty picky about their shell, which is why there should always be a wide variety in their enclosure. When it’s time for your crab to make the switch, it will use its larger claw to gauge a potential shell’s opening by sticking the claw into the opening. When the crab finds a fit it likes, it flips the shell over and crawls in.

Next: It’s kinda hard to tell when they’re dead