Hermit Crabs Information By Shane Dolby

Ever heard of Hermit Crabs? Hermit Crab are a type of crustacean, and these may be either land or water-dwelling. These crabs are somewhat different than true crabs; they have softer vulnerable abdomens and are in the habit of looking for abandoned shells to seek protection from possible enemies. Once it finds a suitable shell, the hermit crab carries the shell everywhere till the time it finally outgrows that particular shell. After that, it would seek a larger shell. However the crab native to the South Pacific prefers a burrow to a shell.

Along the Atlantic coast of the United States and in the country of West Indies, giant and striped hermit crabs are quite common. In Florida and West Indies, these crabs are also sold as pets. In this article we try and provide information about the hermit crab to better your understanding about it.

WHY DOES A HERMIT CRAB HUNT FOR AN ABANDONED SHELL?

The hermit crab does not have a hard shell; therefore it needs the protection of a discarded snail shell against enemies. Since the body of a hermit crab is flexible, it can easily fit into the interior of the shell. Once the hermit crab outgrows the shell, it goes out looking for a larger one. Hermit crabs also carry other organisms on their shells for camouflage in order to protect themselves from predators.

HOW DO HERMIT CRABS SELECT SHELLS?

Hermit crabs are extremely picky and are always on the look-out for the perfect shell. A certain kind of hermit crab called the Dardanus; moves into a shell and also decorates it by placing sea anemones on the shell. The anemones get leftover food from the crab and a free ride at the same time.

HOW TO TELL WHEN A HERMIT CRAB IS ABOUT TO MOLT?

Some hermit crabs may not show any signs that sound the alert about them being ready to molt. Other crabs may act strange or look different; here below are some signs that can help you determine if a hermit crab is ready to molt:

" The crab may dig a lot
" The crab may eat or drink more than usual
" The eyes of the hermit crab may get cloudy

If the hermit crab shows such signs, you need to place it in a warm and humid tank. You can supply food and water dishes and it is a good idea to lightly spray it with mist, if the crab is molting above ground. After it has molted, you may let it consume the old exoskeleton for the essential nutrition it provides.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SHELL

A hermit crab consists of two pairs of antennae and round eyes on the ends of eyestalks. These crabs have ten legs but only 6 legs show. These 6 legs are known as walking legs while the rest i.e. back legs are folded inside the shell.

The world's largest land crab must be the coconut crab. An adult coconut crab can weigh as much as 9 pounds. But it can get very difficult for this particular species hermit crab to find a shell big enough to fit.

In conclusion, in all their variety, Hermit crabs are wonderful crustaceans that can make great pets. Hopefully the details mentioned above helped improve your knowledge about these amazing creatures.

Shane is a hermit crab enthusiast. For more great tips and advice on hermit crab care, visit http://www.hermitcrabsite.com.

Feeding Behavior in Ant Farm Ants By John R Richards

Ant food

The ants that you'll receive when you send off the voucher that comes with your ant farm will almost certainly be harvester ants. The name suggests that they might be vegetarians but that's not necessarily the case. They will consume pretty much anything that contains protein and carbohydrate. They will eat plant seeds in abundance however, most of these are likely to come from grasses. Some grass species will actually grow on the soil that has been excavated from the tunnels by the ants, so the ants don't have to go exploring to find their food. Harvester ants will also eat the seeds, pollen and nectar from many other plant species.

Carnivores

A large number of carnivorous behaviors is has been seen in harvester ants. These include the queen feeding unhatched eggs to her first brood of offspring and, in the case of the Florida harvester, she feeds special sterile eggs, which have been laid by the workers, to juvenile ants. These sterile eggs are called trophic eggs and this behavior has only been seen in the Florida harvester.

I am unaware of any cases of cannibalism in harvester ants so the occupants of your ant farm should be quite safe from each other... What else do harvester ants eat? Well, termites, many castes of which are soft-bodied and quite defenseless, comprise roughly sixty percent of their meat intake. Bigger insects, such as grasshoppers and crickets form the remainder* (see below), usually the ants will extract the soft tissue from the inside of the insect's exoskeleton if it is too big to be removed to the nest.

Foraging for food

By far the most common foraging strategy is called individual foraging. Using this strategy, individual workers will leave the nest to hunt on their own. This is believed to be the most basic of the hunting strategies and, because it is the least sophisticated, it is the strategy that is likely to result in the highest rate of failure and loss. An individual ant is much more likely to be eaten by another animal than is an organized group.

Ants foraging as a group is undoubtedly one of the most interesting phenomena in the insect world. Many ant species, such as the Florida, western and red harvester ants all display this behavior and this is one of the reasons for their success. Occasionally, columns of ants over a hundred feet in length and two inches wide can be seen and any small animals that stand in their way are almost certainly doomed if they do not escape in time. When a group attack takes place the insect (it's usually an insect) is cut up and taken back to the nest. Often different ants will assume different roles when dealing with prey, from attacking, to dismembering and even digging underneath large prey to make it easier to move. Although the armies of harvester ants on the move are a fearsome sight to many animals, it should be remembered that not all foraging trips are successful. They only come back with food about sixty percent of the time. So the ants in your ant farm ought to be eternally grateful that you are providing them with food without their having to move from their doorstep.

* The header picture at Ant Farm Central shows a green cricket being dismembered by ants.
Find out why ant farms are a great educational choice for kids at http://www.antfarmcentral.com