These Feisty Hermit Crabs Brawl Over Snail Shells | Deep Look
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มิ.ย. 2021
- Hermit crabs are obsessed with snail shells. These crafty little crabs, found in California's rocky intertidal zone, are more than happy to let the snails build them a perfect home. When the crabs find a snail shell they like, they hop right into their new abode.
SUBSCRIBE to Deep Look! goo.gl/8NwXqt
Please join our community on Patreon! / deeplook
DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small.
---
Hermit crabs are one of the most recognizable and adored inhabitants of tide pools. But they aren’t just cute (for a crab).
“They’re one of the most important creatures in the intertidal zone because of their role as scavengers,” said Stephen Dunbar, a professor of biology at Loma Linda University. “They begin the process of cleaning up dead materials, like dead seaweed, fish, crabs, snails or whatever else.”
While hermit crabs scavenge for food, they also keep an eye out for new shells to call home.
Grainyhand hermit crabs seem to prefer turban snail shells. That’s good because turban snails are incredibly abundant in the intertidal zone. The snails can spend 20 years growing and building their shells as they graze on the algae that grows all over the rocks.
--- What do hermit crabs eat?
Hermit crabs are scavengers. They eat decaying plants and algae in addition to dead animals.
--- How do hermit crabs mate?
When it’s time for hermit crabs to mate they leave their shells briefly, mate, and then return to their shells. They are vulnerable outside of their shells so they do so quickly.
--- Why do hermit crabs need shells?
Hermit crabs have stiff armored shells to protect their head, claws and walking legs. The back half of the hermit crab’s body, including it’s long curved abdomen, is soft to better fit inside a snail’s spiral-shaped shell. Without a snail shell to protect it, a hermit crab is vulnerable to predators.
---+ Find additional resources and a transcript on KQED Science:
www.kqed.org/science/1975024/...
---+ More great Deep Look episodes:
For Pacific Mole Crabs It's Dig or Die | Deep Look
• For Pacific Mole Crabs...
Decorator Crabs Make High Fashion at Low Tide | Deep Look
• Decorator Crabs Make H...
Whack! Jab! Crack! It's a Blackback Land Crab Smackdown | Deep Look
• Whack! Jab! Crack! It'...
---+ Shoutout!
🏆Congratulations🏆 to the following 5 fans on our Deep Look Community Tab for identifying the specially modified limbs hermit crabs use to grip their shells - urupods!
Lucas
Octo Valley
Sarmad Nasim
Harry To
Akash Chaturvedi
---+ Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10+ per month)!
Chris B Emrick
Lawrence Harris
Burt Humburg
Alex
Wild Turkey
Shebastian Reyes
Berian James
Josh Kuroda
Karen Reynolds
David Deshpande
Daisuke Goto
Companion Cube
Allison & Maka Masuda
Adam Kurtz
Nathan Jewsbury
Tianxing Wang
dane rosseter
Mark Jobes
Kevin Judge
Joshua Murallon Robertson
Elizabeth Ann Ditz
Leonhardt Wille
Laurel Przybylski
Kelly Hong
Gerardo Alfaro
El Samuels
Sonia Tanlimco
Mary Truland
Supernovabetty
Carrie Mukaida
Roberta K Wright
Shelley Pearson Cranshaw
Aurora
Silvan
monoirre
Rick Wong
Ed Gandia
Delphine Tseng
Nicky O.
Kristy Freeman
Nicolette Ray
Misia Clive
Titania Juang
Caitlin McDonough
Levi Cai
Carlos Carrasco
Kallie Moore
Cristen Rasmussen
Syniurge
Blanca Vides
Mehdi
Louis O'Neill
Teresa Lavell
Jana Brenning
Noreen Herrington
Anastasia Grinkevic
Scott Faunce
SueEllen McCann
Cindy McGill
KW
TierZoo
chckncurry
---+ Follow KQED Science and Deep Look:
Instagram: / kqedscience
Twitter: / kqedscience
---+ About KQED
KQED, an NPR and PBS affiliate in San Francisco, California, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media.
Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, the largest science and environment reporting unit in California. KQED Science is supported by The National Science Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Vadasz Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED. - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
![คบซ้อน - วงL.กฮ. [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/5MtesqJ0I1c/mqdefault.jpg)
Home is where your shell is! 🐚
Did you know that sometimes when a new shell turns up, hermit crabs will form a line, biggest to smallest, to see which animal fits the new shell? Crabs in general amaze us in so many different ways. Lately, we filmed Sally Lightfoot crabs while walking on water to escape from eels and octopuses. It was stunning!
I'd truly love to see a line of hermit crabs trying on a shell.😊👍🏻🐚
One crab to outwalk them all :D!
@@sancraianugabriel7580 😆👍🏻
@@IntrepidFraidyCat they one from. Bbc
Me when the
Hermit crab finds a dead snail corpse..
Hermit Crab: "It's Free Real Estate."
I knew I would find this comment 😂😂😂🤣
XD
@@25madebayukhrisnaagung61 and a free meal
I love how many things live on the shell with the hermit crabs. You caught a whole bunch of species in your footage including barnacles, many kinds of algae, sponges, and hydroids.
Great work, as always!
So nice of you to say, thanks!
Deep Look Hi, love your channel!
@@KQEDDeepLook if you respond to me I will eat a bowl of Cheerios
How is the comment from 3 days ago while the video was posted 30 minutes ago?
@@Merito932 I’m a patron so I get early access. I wanted to help out financially since I could and I love their content so much
I would sit through these videos even if they were an hour long.
that would be even better, I feel they are kinda short because they are very interesting and need more time to appreciate everything going on
I wish they were an hour-long, I love this stuff. It's at the point where I know most of whatever type of animal doc I watch because I've watched so many of them. But I grab at any animal/natural education show even if it's something I know about or have seen in different shows a million times. I just love them and the animals showcased so much.
Hermit crabs are so cute I love how they scuttle around 😊
They are called “boarding crabs” or “tenant crabs” in Chinese, so I always knew they lived in someone else’s shells. Common name of animals can sometimes be quite efficient in explaining their lifestyle or behaviour, if the people giving those names have been observing very carefully.
I remember thinking hermit crabs grow with their own shells and learning they grab snail shells to protect their soft yummy body blew my tiny 12 year old mind. This is sending me back to that moment, thank you!
You are welcome Syaz!
excellent this is exactly what i needed to watch this morning ❤️
So glad kandyrew!
Oh hey it’s the TH-cam apex legends guy
Its night here
The Caustic main needs more ideas for his experiments.
Same
Sadly, acidity of the ocean make hard the ability of snails grow their shells and is as always our contamination fault.
Yup we're doing a lot of damage to the oceans. Due to increase in acidity tonnes of CO2 is getting released from the oceans per year.
Japan is releasing nuclear waste water into the Pacific Ocean, worry this instead
Japan is releasing nuclear waste water into the pacific ocean worry this instead
@@aisha-2971 I just said it
@@aisha-2971 really, that is a tiny, tiny issue. don't panic about that one.
I always wonder how Hermit Crabs got their shells. Its actually from the snails!
The way they swoop out quickly so nobody sees their little lower body 😂😍
The way Laura narrates it and the background music makes me so interested to listen❤️❤️❤️
It’s so amazing how hermit crabs 🐚🦀 are adapted to Recycle ♻️ snail shells by reusing them!!!
those shells would actually turn to sand in some years of degradation and corrosion. They just take what they find, nothing about recycling, really.
@@sancraianugabriel7580 I know, I study science, I just thought it would be nice to put a comment like this for fun 🦀
i love the little shuffling sounds they make when switching shells
So cute and funny!! I love when they whip their little butts into the new shell 😂
Parents: TH-cam is not a good entertaiment
After seeing this: Maybe I treated you too harshly
The crabs waiting for the snail to die before occupying its shell 👏 .....something that even humans could learn. Big respect for these crabs.....and you too Deep Look 🙂
Basically when people hear about a sale in the mall but in the sea 🦀 🛍 🛒 🌊
In a million years we will see evolved hermit crabs farming snails for shells.
the hermit crab is changing shells like everyday clothes
this channel's sound designer and composer are the best
I have always seen them snuggling inside the shelves so this video feels like a forbidden knowledge that no humans i allowed to see 😂
I have a reef aquarium with snails and hermits. In my experience, hermits will happily murder a snail for its shell, though they prefer one that's already empty.
Another worth the wait mini documentary. Keep it up, Deep Look! 😌❤
Thank you! Will do!
I'll never get tired of hermit crab shell discourse.
Man this Type of video is so relaxing, I love the narrator's voice.
“If it fits, I sits” 😌
Finally, a video showing where did those shells come from.
"The hermit crabs won't kill the snail"
*0.1 seconds later*
wait for the snail to die and eat its carcass and say "Escargot, anyone?"
Amazing that you found one with a broken shell! The footage for this video was absolutely delightful
Glad you enjoyed it
Brings back memories of catching these guys up in Jenner. Great to see Deep Look cover them! Got another topic for your consideration: Click beetles! They are fairly common in the Bay Area and they'd make an excellent creature to cover. Cheers!
We have them in the Ozarks, too. So cool!
Great suggestion! Thanks WorldScott.
Hermit crabs: Mother Nature's own predatory real estate market
Hermit crabs are like the ocean recyclers ♻️ 😄, it’s so cool!
Nah, they don't recycle the shells, i.e. they don't break it apart into useful bits for smaller organisms. They just make use of the remains of dead snails.
More like theyre the reuse fanatic of the ocean
Not recycling, repurposing. If I empty a box of candy and fill it up with pencils, I didn't recycle the box, I repurposed it.
I've always wondered what a hermit crab looked like in there!
I owned a pair of hermits for 5 years. They got along well, never fighting for the shells. However the moment one passed away, the remaining crab took that shell and stayed until their own passing.
Wow these crabs have a really hardcore dependence on those snails. I wonder how that evolved. I also wonder if they can use other things as homes, maybe the shells are just their best option?
A more lobster-like crustacean living around snail shells probably first started using empty shells for protection when molting, eventually relying on it more and more until it became soft-bodied to hold the shell permanently. It gives them much better protection over conventional crabs and lobsters at the cost of mobility. And yes certain species of hermits have been observed using human trash like metal cans as shells if they cannot find anything else.
It's theorized that they first used ammonite shells as homes, before switching to snail shells as ammonites went extinct.
It's fascinating just watching a hermit crab, learning how they survive
I have a rescue crab and I’m always looking to learn more about her. Thanks for this awesome video!
I went to a beach shortly after watching this video, I really wanted to see a hermit crab switching shells and so I looked for empty sea shells by the shore then went into tide pools that had many hermit crabs and was able to see many gathering to check out the shells I’d dropped in for them! I noticed one hermie had a broken shell exposing its behind so I’d found a shell a size bigger than it’s old one AND I SAW IT COME OUT OF ITS OLD SHELL AND SWITCH INTO THE SHINY NEW ONE ID GOTTEN IT 😭 SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE!! I thought that it would’ve taken a longer time for the hermies to want to switch out of shells since tide pools have a few predators from the skies but they were doing it right in front of me! I’ve seen many animals in tide pools since I’m from North Cali but have never seen sea stars any recommendations as to what beaches have tide pools with stars? 🙃Does Deep Look have an episode of starfish 😯?
Hi Fanny - how fantastic! Thanks for sharing your story. Some species of sea stars have become rare in recent years. And yes we have done a video about them. :-) th-cam.com/video/9rxf_2EgwfE/w-d-xo.html #inspo
@@KQEDDeepLook Thank you for the link! Thats quite unfortunate to hear since sea stars are keystone species increasing biodiversity, I think I’d heard somewhere that there was a decline of sea stars due to some sort of disease or bacteria killing them off ☹️
I love the mystical bell ring every time the hermit swaps shells hehe
Finally a great video about hermit crabs
They are so polite to the snails, they wait for them to die instead of killing them
As always an amazing quality video! I loved watching it and learned something new 😍 Especially the footage of the crab with the open shell was really educational to see how they always keep hold of their shells. Thank you Deep Look ✌️
Oh! Oh! This cuties ^^ In my city, we used to call it "Pong Pong An". When im younger i always love to have hermit crabs as pets. They are adorableeee ♡
loved the info tip at the end that nearly all pet hermit crabs are taken from the wild.
To add to that, if you're a current hermit owner, do not go set them free at your local beach out of guilt.
Mainly because what you have is likely a LAND hermit crab, and if you for example toss them "back into the ocean" they will actually drown, as land hermits don't actually live in the oceans, more so *near them* in the tree brush. Additionally, they likely came from somewhere far from where you live. So if you do not have the same local species of hermits in your area, please just simply continue to care for them as best you can, or adopt them off to someone who will if you need to get rid of them. Hermits can live upwards to 40 years, so they are quite a commitment, but very enjoyable little dudes.
Just make sure to care for them responsibly! They deserve it
Lord, I love this channel!
Wow! I really love Hermit Crabs!❤🦀🐚🐌
Snail: man i dead *dies*
Hermit crabs: its showtime.
Big fan for years, please do a video on Cordyceps life cycle on Caterpillars
Some species of hermit crabs have anemones hitch a ride on their snail-shell. When the hermit crab moves house, it uses a special 'tickle' to give the anemones the cue to detach from the old shell so that the hermit can transplant them onto the new, bigger shell. Anemone gets easier access to food by way of moving around with the hermit crab, hermit crab has some extra protection because most things just don't bother messing with the stinging of an anemone.
Crabs: have their shell.
Hermit crab: Basic Economic
Snail: **dies**
Hermit Crabs: *"It's free real estate!"*
Thanks for the new video DeepLook!
No kidding about the obsession. I once watched a video of one snail eating another, and there was a bunch of hermit crabs gathered around waiting for the shell to drop. One of them was so impatient that it hopped in while the shell was still in the snail's mouth.
Thank you deep look❣️✨
It's just great to see these phenomena from deep oceans directly through a video all because of your effort!
It's very informative and keep up the good work guys!❣️✨
The crab are so polite
they didnt team up to beat those snails to death
instead, they wait till the snail died
Some incredible videography and information!! Thanks making these videos!!! These are so informative and fun to watch!!
Good work Deep Look!!👍👍
Our pleasure!
Awwww I had hermit crabs as a kid maybe 5/6 of them. They were fun, I’d watch them crawl around for hours, sometimes letting them walk up my arm. This brought back some really cool memories. 👍
I couldn’t help but laugh at that one crab getting bullied, poor little guy XD
Its cute how they dig out the sand off the shells 😊
When I was kid, I used to go to the beach to catch them for hermit crab racing with my other friends.
It's like "Hungry Hungry Hippos" and "Hot Potato" Mixed together; where the winner gets a new home!
dead snail: exists
hermit crab: free estate!
I lived in Canary Islands (Spain) and in the beaches of Gran Canaria i saw hermit crabs using rocks as a shell. Smart crabs :)
Snails sure has a big part in a hermit crab's life, its so fascinating to see them moving from one shell to another.
Reject humanity; ascend to crab.
I love the narration and amazing content these videos have
I love these videos! I always have to stop what I am doing just to watch these. Keep up the good work!
Glad you enjoy it Scully!
Thank you deep look for all these efforts.. I Always enjoy the show.
Our pleasure!
3:14 crab inside: leave me alone dude! I’m trying to get some sleep!
Hermit crabs are obsessed with _survival_ just like any other living being. 😊
So it's basically Black Friday shopping for crabs
I was in Maldives and I saw many hermit crabs and wanted to know more, THANKS!!!❤️❤️
*Thank you deep look for introducing me to my new favorite sea animal lol*
Everytime they post a new video my endorphins goes up
I had some as pets as a kid. Loved these little things. I had like five of them
I just got done watching hermit crabs fight snails and trading shells within the community in the tide pools in hawaii
Snail: So... the shell is going to take about 30yrs
Hermit crab: Can you do it in 15?
Your videos are great, Deep Look!
if only I could change my place as often as a hermit crab ~
Yeah sadly there is no giant snails for humans to have their shells LoL :)
I once saw a strange looking rock when I picked it up I saw that it was a hallow piece of coral with the tiny tips of a hermits legs retracting deeper in.
I put it next to some shells on the beach (one also containing a hermit).
Snails: Exist
Hermit crab: It’s free real estate
Waiting for the host to die to take the house is WAYYYYY nicer than 99% of the animals on this planet
Hermit crab
BBC Earth : *Exchange Properties*
DeepLook : *Battle Royale*
Crabs are my fav! Please make more crab vids!
This is cool! And nice to learn from this yt channel
I want an 1 hour documentary about the Colorado river in Texas
Thanks DeepLook
Ayo these crabs really said, “ *OUR* SHELL.”
I never seen a hermit Crab so close before they are so cool with taking over with new shells in leave there old ones for other hermit crabs to Used if they need a new one after all the shells are there homes
I remember how I first saw my first hermit crab so little and so fragile but so cute
I love to play with these Hermit Crabs at the beach back when i was a child also what fascinating info about hermit crabs good thing i learn something new everyday from the internet
Hermit carb is what I needed to know about cause at coincidence my bio project is to write about them so thanks
Humans: my grandma lived in this house, I'm not moving
Hermit crabs to snail shells: *it's free real estate*
Hermet crab: I want that shell
Snail: dies
Hermet crab: (eats corpse and steals shell)
Oh hey its another deep look video, THIS IS PRETTY POG!
I feel sad for the crab with broken shell at first but so glad it found new, better home at last. Happy ending 🥰
Snail: dies
Hermit Crabs: *iTs fReE rEaL eStAtE*
"HEY MOVE! I WANT THIS HOUSE!! LEMME HAVE IT!!"
😂
Crabs !!!!!!!!!! Yay I've also kept them brought to home by accident thinking it as a nice shell but released back so interesting and cute. Like your videos so interesting and makes me in live with those little creepy critters tnx all. 😍