Naked Plea on Blog Action Day

Hello!

Here we are, hermit crabs gathered together for Blog Action Day.

You might see some of us on the shores of Singapore.
Look carefully! Some of us are tiny. But aren't we pretty?!

We the Striped hermit crabs are quite large and commonly seen. We are usually orange, although rarely, some of us are blue (some hermits just HAVE to be different...hmmm).

Mr Big Red Hermit Crab with White Spots is rarely seen except on undisturbed shores. While Pretty-in-Purple Ms Land Hermit Crab is also rare because she and her friends are often taken away to become pets in people's houses. We really don't do well away from the sea. And we will miss our friends on the sea shore. Please don't take us away.

But MOST importantly, us hermit crabs need empty shells! Our backsides are long and soft and we need to tuck them into a nice hard shell or some nasty thing will EAT US!!
Sometimes other animals like sea anemones also settle on our shell (see the nice big anemone on the photo at left). So it isn't just hermit crabs that need the shell. Even tiny shells are homes to tiny hermits!

Any kind of shell is a potential home for one of us. Big ones, small ones, broken ones, pretty ones, ugly ones.
Do visit us. We'd love to see you.

But please leave empty shells on the beach. Don't bring them home!!

We will be naked (and dead) without a shell.

Thank you!!