2024-01-31
- Hermit crabs worldwide, known for using scavenged shells as armor increasingly turning to plastic waste instead, according to an ecological study using social media photos.
- The research, published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, revealed that two-thirds of hermit crab species were pictured using artificial shells mainly discarded plastic caps.
- The hermit crab which is IUCN: least concern is a unique crustacean that lacks a hard shell and utilizes old shells, particularly whelk shells, for protection.
- Unlike other crustaceans with a complete exoskeleton, the hermit crab has a soft and squishy back part where its abdomen is located.
