So that’s what a hermit crab looks like inside its shell!
Update I: In June I managed to find where this photo came from! It was taken by wildlife photographer Frank Greenaway for the publisher Dorling Kindersley, probably about ten years ago. For more information, see this post.
Update II: In August, my sister told me about an interview with marine biologists in New Zealand who are also using glass shells to help study hermit crabs. These crabs voluntarily moved into the hand-blown glass shells with 7-10 days of the glass shells being added to the tanks. (The scientists would not have forced the crabs in, this would not be deemed acceptable by the institution’s ethics committee that oversees all experimental design involving animals and humans)
Items of Interest 
That is so cool!
Personally I think its cruel. Hermit crabs need their shell for hiding and need darkness for molting. If you think you’re being clever, sadly you are not.
I didn’t take this photo, and I know very little about crabs – I just thought it was fascinating to see how a crab fits into a shell.
This photo has been posted in many places, I can’t find anything about who took it and under what circumstances. I did find a lot of people who were looking for glass shells for their own crabs and who seemed to think that crabs would not go into shells that they did not like. I certainly hope that the crab was well treated and had a alternative shell to use if this one was not to its’ liking.
sadly crabs are taken from their natural shells and forced into painted shells everyday, they rather have a shell then no shell at all but when given the choice they are very fussy about their shells. I’m inclined to believe the crab would have been forced into this glass shell just like a painted shell.
I apologize for thinking it was your crab. Sadly people do horrible things to our own little creatures! It looks like this crab is actually dead. They don’t go into shells like this one is. They need to store water in their shell to keep moist. Sadly people aren’t educated enough to realize this crab suffocated to death in the glass.
Why, thats is just horrible!!! I cannot believe that people in this terrible world would do such a thing. By golly, I would just want to go catch the people who do this and somehow put them into jail! But sadly, you cant do that……
I have owned many hermit crabs throughout the years, many of which have thrived for the duration. At the moment i have aprox. 20 shells for my 13 crabs. Once one crab decides to move out, his or her shell is almost imediatly moved into by another. With this said crabs do not have a preference to painted/regular shells, they simply find the one to their liking and move on in. Sure there is a degree to which the shells need to be crafted to (any bumps or nicks inside the shell could result in injury or death to the crab), but crabs have a funny way of deciding which shell is for them. If a crab was put into a shell that it didnt want to be in, it would leave the shell and go off to find another. Now to the glass shell. When crabs molt they often bury themselves or come out of their shell completly so darkness isn’t a factor. Glass is glass, it can hold liquid. I keep many “play items” in my terrarium, including a plastic bottle top. One of the crabs moved on in and stayed for a week before deciding to go on home.
Most hermit crabs that I have seen in glass shells are marine crabs, not land. The biggest issue i would see would be that the glass would trab heat inside the shell and roast the crab to death. Marine crabs won’t have this issue.
Wonderful photo!!
Lette – What if they used tinted glass?
Kayoi Tokuda – Or would you put them into a glass house?
Goes to show how first impressions are often wrong. In their natural environment these animals go to much greater, and more dangerous, lengths to find a proper home. They’re not the dainty, fluff-filled creatures more people make small creatures out to be. The picture is just an example of whats being done with the shells and the biologists and marina attendants would not let an animal die just for the sake of it. A good nature photographer would be able to rig a setup in a safe clear glass tank for a few minutes work with the crab untroubled.
Its a beautiful piece of craft that shows off the ingenuity of nature. Give your fellow human some credit until you you know the facts before claiming cruelty and injustice.
Wow! Isn’t it amazing the life that is found on this planet. To think so many people speak without a thought as to whether or not they have all or even some correct information. Someone should see if they can get these people into a glass shell to see how they work.
Every body relax. This is a replication of an experiment conducted at least 15 or 20 years ago may be even 25 -30, I don’t remember who by ( look it up ). The point was to ‘actually’ see how, why and when a Hermit transfers accommodation. They are VERY fussy, when there one room becomes to ‘snug’ they go house hunting. A prospective abode will be thoroughly examined in minute detail, size, shape, condition etc. and only a perfect receptacle will be moved into. The actual transfer is lightning, out and in, pop ! I saw this on TV years ago and the little chap spent quite a while examining all the possible homes on offer, unless there was NO immediate alternative I don’t think a Hermit would make a rash decision about its new home, armor, retreat…
Lette, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
the crabs were NOT forced into these shells
more info here…
http://www.3news.co.nz/TVShows/CampbellLive/Story/tabid/817/articleID/116390/cat/221/Default.aspx
Just a reminder that this photo has nothing to do with the CampbellLive story on the Portabello Aquarium.
The photo in this post was taken by a respected and well-known wild-life photographer for a respected and well-known publishing company. (I don’t believe that this crab was forced into the shell either.)
HAw-haw to everyone that thought the crabs were forced into these shells and chided anyone else for their ignorance of this fact. These crabs preferred the glass shells! Lol, some people need to read a little Socrates.
Wow! Amazing!
Lette, why so quick to judge? Watch the coverage of the story! I’ll bet the marine biologists who make a life out of the love of sea creatures know what they’re doing.
But you probably still think that, at a glimpse, you still know more than them.
And, ant farms! Can you believe that people – children no less – would actually force innocent, harmless little ants between two sandwiched panes of glass! Doesn’t everyone know that ants need darkness to feed and grow properly and store their food, and that this will kill them! They put these ants into this simply so they can study them! How terrible! Even more, some children will actually use magnifying glasses and BURN some ants! The only word for these children is EVIL! They should all be rounded up and thrown in jail!
This is so awesome! What a great idea!
Unfortunately, Lette is wrong. The glass does not hurt the animal at all. This picture was taken during a scientific study in Portobello, New Zealand. Light has very little to do with a hermit crab’s molting. Especially since there are over 4,000 different specie of hermit crabs, its very difficult to accurately generalize a simple fact like that.
kJac – this picture was not taken by the New Zealand scientists. It was taken by wildlife photographer Frank Greenaway years before the study in NZ began.
Thanks for such a great photo and this incredible discussion. It’s amazing how quickly people will express emotional opinions not based on any fact. Very happy to see that others have corrected that here. I found only one other website besides yours that had the photographer’s name, even though the photograph is everywhere:
http://tw.streetvoice.com/article/user-article.asp?dn=268019
Frank Greenaway for the publisher Dorling Kindersley, who publishes lots of great nature books with Greenaway.
Thanks so much for this excellent post.
Crabs who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
I have mates for this lonely crab! I have been making hand blown shells for hermit crabs since 1996. You can see more Hermit crabs in shells at http://www.dugrenier.com/sculpture/crabsculpt.html or at
http://tafthill.com/glhecrsh.html
This photo looks like a sea hermit crab. Mine are land hermit crabs.
Regards,
Robert
wow is so awesome, great great …
Robert DuGrenier, your glass and gold decorated hermit crab shells are absolutely beautiful! What is even more amazing is how nature is full of such beauty, if we only stop and look around. I am so glad that madscientist posted this wonderful photo, and glad that people explained that the hermit crabs are not suffering. It’s incredible how a few people’s knee-jerk reaction, even if disguised as “good intentions,” can be so far off the mark and cause so much confusion by jumping to conclusions. But at least the discussion ended on a good note with facts and figures supported. Then comes DuGrenier’s lovely hand-blown shells. The perfect ending! The world truly is made by artists, and from the Heavens Above.
Hermit crabs cannot be forced into painted shells they go into them on their own, now they might not like them and change shells if a better suited one is available, but you cannot force a crab out of its shell without killing it. A glass shell would be better than a painted shell by far because after all, glass is just melted sand, and would be much smoother on their soft abdomen than spray paint and some snail shells that are the wrong size. i have had my hermit crab for almost 2 years and hes molted twice and refuses to get out of the shell that i bought him in. i try to find suitable shells everywhere i go… i wish someone knew where to get a glass one for my crabber!!!
i have a hermit crab and it has become extremely trusting because only shells that are relevant to the color of the substrate are placed within the cage so why would you put one in a shell that offers no camouflage or proper protection
I really don’t have an opinion one way or the other on the glass shell. But I have seen wild hermit crabs living in baby food jars with limitless shells to choose from. Just saying.
This is really cool…gives you a whole new perspective on things!
Ive sat here and read all the comments people has said about this hermit crab. I have 4 and I dont know alot about them but Im learning every day. I love them ! I can just sit and watch them for hours when they are active. Im ordering me a glass shell for mine today. Ive also learned that a hermit crab will let you pull them in half rather than be pulled from its shell. Im gonna put the shell in its house…if it wants it fine…if it dont fine ! Making them change shells I wouldnt think would be easy to do…just saying
@Kim Mathis, so you used to have 5 hermit crabs?
Your picture is so interesting and beautiful!
I found some pictures of wild crabs in glass houses! Go to this site, and scroll down to the bottom article.
http://lostborneo.wordpress.com/2008/11/
The hermit crab in your picture is evidentally happy, because with all the shells in the sea to choose from, these wild ones chose glass houses, too!
I honestly hate the whole natural vs. painted vs. glass shell argument. I make both painted and natural shells available for my crabs (even though I think the painted ones are ugly). I trust their decisions and they can choose whatever is most comfortable for them. Some of my crabs have changed into natural as soon as possible. Others won’t ditch the painted. Most crabs will allow themselves to be torn apart before being forced out of a shell. The glass is non toxic. And if you provide the proper environment, the tank should already have dark places. It should also be dark at night when the crabs are most active. It’s also good that these shells are used to study hermit crabs. Very little is known about them and I think this is why they are such abused and misunderstood pets. If I could afford glass shells, I would get them ($30 is a bit out of my price range). If my crab likes his painted shell, I won’t force him out of it.
I first liked hermits when saw Crusty from T I Mr. Limpet. We moved to Miami Beach when I was 13. that summer I worked at a speed boat rental (not a bad gig either) located at the end of a finger canal running east from the inter-coastal waterway. I wonder if anyone out there remembers the Castaways Motel and night club. Anyway, for months I studied the hermit crabs that lived in the sand. the tide sort of exposed the various characteristics of the crabs to a thoughtful, curious young mind…this site was enlightening for me, if not entertaining with the numerous responses including the occasional Perry and Thrusts…that’s my story, and I’m stuck with it…}8)+<
I am wondering how many of you who are commenting about this cruelty are vegetarian? What about doing something now to help all the animals who are being over fished and tortured for food? Go vegetarian and practice what you preach!
As a vegetarian I am often offended when vegetarians throw the animal overfeeding and cruelty mantra randomly into posts. Seriously, be a vegetarian, enjoy your lifestyle.
So, regarding the shell…it looks like it may have been done as a form of taxidermy. I haven’t my hermit crabs with their antennae pointing down and out of the shell so posed. And in that venue, it is an awesome demonstration of the crustaceans’ ability to live in a 1 room apartment and a really cool photograph.
I know this post is mostly dead and has spanned 3 years, but for those who are still subscribed…that’s my several cents.
So, where do I buy one?
This photo is of a shell designed by Robert DuGrenier an artist who spent many years study Hermit crabs and the shape of the shells they inhabit. In this case the crabs have not been forcibly removed from their shells. As mentioned by the Author of this blog the shells were provided to a marine research centre in New Zealand where the crabs voluntarily chose the glass shells over the natural unpainted ones they were already inhabiting. You can read more about it at Robert Grenier’s website http://www.glassshell.com.
Robert DuGrenier even posted in the comments above!
Wow…really an awesome image!
Really cool…