These Feisty Hermit Crabs Brawl Over Snail Shells

These Feisty Hermit Crabs Brawl Over Snail Shells | Deep Look

Рет қаралды 501,788

3 жыл бұрын

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.
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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/...
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🏆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!
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Harry To
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Пікірлер: 423

@terramater 3 жыл бұрын

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!

@IntrepidFraidyCat 3 жыл бұрын

I'd truly love to see a line of hermit crabs trying on a shell.😊👍🏻🐚

@sancraianugabriel7580 3 жыл бұрын

One crab to outwalk them all :D!

@IntrepidFraidyCat 3 жыл бұрын

@@sancraianugabriel7580 😆👍🏻

@bigsecretofind 3 жыл бұрын

@@IntrepidFraidyCat they one from. Bbc

@pancakeisagamer 3 жыл бұрын

Me when the

@crakolington 3 жыл бұрын

Hermit crab finds a dead snail corpse.. Hermit Crab: "It's Free Real Estate."

@25madebayukhrisnaagung61 3 жыл бұрын

I knew I would find this comment 😂😂😂🤣

@TheAutisticFrog 2 жыл бұрын

@jamesbizs 2 жыл бұрын

@@25madebayukhrisnaagung61 and a free meal

@zoereidinger 3 жыл бұрын

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!

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

So nice of you to say, thanks!

@oceania5831 3 жыл бұрын

Deep Look Hi, love your channel!

@danksanchez4324 3 жыл бұрын

@@KQEDDeepLook if you respond to me I will eat a bowl of Cheerios

@Merito932 3 жыл бұрын

How is the comment from 3 days ago while the video was posted 30 minutes ago?

@zoereidinger 3 жыл бұрын

@@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

@Chezmeralda 3 жыл бұрын

Hermit crabs are so cute I love how they scuttle around 😊

@tannercarlson7419 3 жыл бұрын

I would sit through these videos even if they were an hour long.

@Oscar4u69 3 жыл бұрын

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

@boyinblue. 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@MsWinterlife 2 жыл бұрын

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.

@kandyrew 3 жыл бұрын

excellent this is exactly what i needed to watch this morning ❤️

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

So glad kandyrew!

@danksanchez4324 3 жыл бұрын

Oh hey it’s the KZfaq apex legends guy

@jmsagrifarms3549 3 жыл бұрын

Its night here

@redwinedrummer 3 жыл бұрын

The Caustic main needs more ideas for his experiments.

@smearlint0925 3 жыл бұрын

Same

@salsadipbox1098 3 жыл бұрын

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!

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

You are welcome Syaz!

@tgnm9615 3 жыл бұрын

I always wonder how Hermit Crabs got their shells. Its actually from the snails!

@josekanashiro3610 3 жыл бұрын

Sadly, acidity of the ocean make hard the ability of snails grow their shells and is as always our contamination fault.

@Tempst 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@aisha-2971 3 жыл бұрын

Japan is releasing nuclear waste water into the Pacific Ocean, worry this instead

@aisha-2971 3 жыл бұрын

Japan is releasing nuclear waste water into the pacific ocean worry this instead

@josekanashiro3610 3 жыл бұрын

@@aisha-2971 I just said it

@thomasneal9291 2 жыл бұрын

@@aisha-2971 really, that is a tiny, tiny issue. don't panic about that one.

@takayanagi-senseissurprise2104 3 жыл бұрын

Basically when people hear about a sale in the mall but in the sea 🦀 🛍 🛒 🌊

@dmedwards26 3 жыл бұрын

The way they swoop out quickly so nobody sees their little lower body 😂😍

@SpencerKlouds 3 жыл бұрын

The way Laura narrates it and the background music makes me so interested to listen❤️❤️❤️

@ethanssciencechannel7897 3 жыл бұрын

It’s so amazing how hermit crabs 🐚🦀 are adapted to Recycle ♻️ snail shells by reusing them!!!

@sancraianugabriel7580 3 жыл бұрын

those shells would actually turn to sand in some years of degradation and corrosion. They just take what they find, nothing about recycling, really.

@ethanssciencechannel7897 3 жыл бұрын

@@sancraianugabriel7580 I know, I study science, I just thought it would be nice to put a comment like this for fun 🦀

@brianpj5860 3 жыл бұрын

So cute and funny!! I love when they whip their little butts into the new shell 😂

@jakubsolar4670 3 жыл бұрын

Parents: KZfaq is not a good entertaiment After seeing this: Maybe I treated you too harshly

@avahampton 3 жыл бұрын

i love the little shuffling sounds they make when switching shells

@TheAaa1919 3 жыл бұрын

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 🙂

@etsyziii 3 жыл бұрын

Another worth the wait mini documentary. Keep it up, Deep Look! 😌❤

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Will do!

@jasepoag8930 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@arminajeanvillacorta825 3 жыл бұрын

Man this Type of video is so relaxing, I love the narrator's voice.

@tailuong-le1100 3 жыл бұрын

I have always seen them snuggling inside the shelves so this video feels like a forbidden knowledge that no humans i allowed to see 😂

@jugalsinghrathore8090 3 жыл бұрын

the hermit crab is changing shells like everyday clothes

@OstentatiousClown 3 жыл бұрын

In a million years we will see evolved hermit crabs farming snails for shells.

@pikagelly7465 3 жыл бұрын

“If it fits, I sits” 😌

@ethanssciencechannel7897 3 жыл бұрын

Hermit crabs are like the ocean recyclers ♻️ 😄, it’s so cool!

@botanic3428 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@Username-le4eq 3 жыл бұрын

More like theyre the reuse fanatic of the ocean

@lostpockets2227 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@matrixraizel7471 2 жыл бұрын

Finally, a video showing where did those shells come from.

@ervin9805 3 жыл бұрын

this channel's sound designer and composer are the best

@aygtets 3 жыл бұрын

I've always wondered what a hermit crab looked like in there!

@WorldScott 3 жыл бұрын

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!

@YSLRD 3 жыл бұрын

We have them in the Ozarks, too. So cool!

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

Great suggestion! Thanks WorldScott.

@salt-emoji 3 жыл бұрын

I'll never get tired of hermit crab shell discourse.

@yonatanbeer3475 3 жыл бұрын

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?

@skrubknight884 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@rattyeely 2 жыл бұрын

It's theorized that they first used ammonite shells as homes, before switching to snail shells as ammonites went extinct.

@yumibro8121 3 жыл бұрын

I have a rescue crab and I’m always looking to learn more about her. Thanks for this awesome video!

@unidentified_4O4 3 жыл бұрын

It's fascinating just watching a hermit crab, learning how they survive

@Feebelle 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing that you found one with a broken shell! The footage for this video was absolutely delightful

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@dsneoslwmss 3 жыл бұрын

Wow! I really love Hermit Crabs!❤🦀🐚🐌

@fannys.8013 3 жыл бұрын

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 😯?

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

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. :-) kzfaq.info/get/bejne/b9iomcJjqs3blnk.html #inspo

@fannys.8013 3 жыл бұрын

@@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 ☹️

@IntrepidFraidyCat 3 жыл бұрын

Lord, I love this channel!

@kingvulturo 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@ST0AT 2 жыл бұрын

Hermit crabs: Mother Nature's own predatory real estate market

@nederlandschkat 3 жыл бұрын

"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?"

@danielzvids 3 жыл бұрын

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 ✌️

@ravish89 3 жыл бұрын

Big fan for years, please do a video on Cordyceps life cycle on Caterpillars

@luxtrous 3 жыл бұрын

Finally a great video about hermit crabs

@BenRusk11 3 жыл бұрын

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

@polosays677 3 жыл бұрын

This is cool! And nice to learn from this yt channel

@gumipanda00 3 жыл бұрын

I love the mystical bell ring every time the hermit swaps shells hehe

@sarthaksuman6554 3 жыл бұрын

Some incredible videography and information!! Thanks making these videos!!! These are so informative and fun to watch!! Good work Deep Look!!👍👍

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

@pedrochagas9903 2 жыл бұрын

They are so polite to the snails, they wait for them to die instead of killing them

@stegosaur9812 3 жыл бұрын

I love the narration and amazing content these videos have

@kaylathehedgehog2005 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@FBIagentObama 3 жыл бұрын

*Thank you deep look for introducing me to my new favorite sea animal lol*

@zenwang_naga 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you deep look for all these efforts.. I Always enjoy the show.

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

Our pleasure!

@3takoyakis 3 жыл бұрын

The crab are so polite they didnt team up to beat those snails to death instead, they wait till the snail died

@RanchhodbhaiJPatel 3 жыл бұрын

Hermit carb is what I needed to know about cause at coincidence my bio project is to write about them so thanks

@judicatorhurayth1927 3 жыл бұрын

Crabs: have their shell. Hermit crab: Basic Economic

@rishimasinha3303 3 жыл бұрын

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!❣️✨

@kiarasantosa5073 2 жыл бұрын

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 ♡

@YoutubeCensorship. 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the new video DeepLook!

@SillyMegalodon 3 жыл бұрын

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.

@jocosesonata 3 жыл бұрын

Reject humanity; ascend to crab.

@shawnaceron8111 3 жыл бұрын

Everytime they post a new video my endorphins goes up

@godzillamanz8139 5 ай бұрын

Snail: man i dead *dies* Hermit crabs: its showtime.

@sector-7blitz402 2 жыл бұрын

Hermit crab BBC Earth : *Exchange Properties* DeepLook : *Battle Royale*

@XxJu5tiCexX 3 жыл бұрын

I love these videos! I always have to stop what I am doing just to watch these. Keep up the good work!

@KQEDDeepLook 3 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoy it Scully!

@user-ix7iu4wf8o 3 жыл бұрын

if only I could change my place as often as a hermit crab ~

@reieben886 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah sadly there is no giant snails for humans to have their shells LoL :)

@cherylslane9727 2 жыл бұрын

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. 👍

@ultraameise 3 жыл бұрын

Its cute how they dig out the sand off the shells 😊

@troidesproject9631 3 жыл бұрын

When I was kid, I used to go to the beach to catch them for hermit crab racing with my other friends.

@Velociferon 3 жыл бұрын

Crabs are my fav! Please make more crab vids!

@lcaquatics3446 3 жыл бұрын

I want an 1 hour documentary about the Colorado river in Texas

@user-qc7zl4lk3e 3 жыл бұрын

dead snail: exists hermit crab: free estate!

@Axol_N_Krimm 2 жыл бұрын

I lived in Canary Islands (Spain) and in the beaches of Gran Canaria i saw hermit crabs using rocks as a shell. Smart crabs :)

@Sweet4Swirllix 3 жыл бұрын

Snails sure has a big part in a hermit crab's life, its so fascinating to see them moving from one shell to another.

@MelStaub 2 жыл бұрын

I couldn’t help but laugh at that one crab getting bullied, poor little guy XD

@adityanag8934 3 жыл бұрын

Amazing videos as always 🥰 lots of love from India 🙏♥️

@srirakshapriyaram8553 3 жыл бұрын

Yes

@redclanwool1590 Жыл бұрын

I just got done watching hermit crabs fight snails and trading shells within the community in the tide pools in hawaii

@ejakaegypt Жыл бұрын

I had some as pets as a kid. Loved these little things. I had like five of them

@alzack112 2 жыл бұрын

Snail: **dies** Hermit Crabs: *"It's free real estate!"*

@Smorgasbord. 3 жыл бұрын

Hermit crabs are obsessed with _survival_ just like any other living being. 😊

@atompunk456 3 жыл бұрын

Imagine getting bullied out of your own home

@Arcticwolf689 3 жыл бұрын

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

@Lfppfs 3 жыл бұрын

Your videos are great, Deep Look!

@babybeans1477 3 жыл бұрын

Ayo these crabs really said, “ *OUR* SHELL.”

@roi574 3 жыл бұрын

Snails: Exist Hermit crab: It’s free real estate

@kirklanyoshinaga8953 2 жыл бұрын

3:14 crab inside: leave me alone dude! I’m trying to get some sleep!

@joshuaravenfernandez7989 2 жыл бұрын

3:14 *LET ME IN..LET ME INNNNN*

@javawaves 2 жыл бұрын

I was in Maldives and I saw many hermit crabs and wanted to know more, THANKS!!!❤️❤️

@andreimations 3 жыл бұрын

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

@alicetran3100 3 жыл бұрын

i L I V E for this kind of edu-tainment. Thank you! Hermit crabs have always been interesting to me, and now I can't stop laughing at their tiny feets. Way to dig their heels into nice digs.

@potentia16 3 жыл бұрын

Oh hey its another deep look video, THIS IS PRETTY POG!

@johnelizera.delacruz3107 3 жыл бұрын

I remember how I first saw my first hermit crab so little and so fragile but so cute

@obidean3964 3 жыл бұрын

I feel sad for the crab with broken shell at first but so glad it found new, better home at last. Happy ending 🥰

@quocbaodoan7678 3 жыл бұрын

Waiting for the host to die to take the house is WAYYYYY nicer than 99% of the animals on this planet

@jonathanvalentino3183 3 жыл бұрын

:00 they just swoop in like that

@lylacor8401 2 жыл бұрын

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).