Anyone with an older brother or sister knows that clothes “shopping” often meant begrudgingly sifting through hand-me-downs rather than perusing the latest fashions at the mall. But for hermit crabs, the hand-me-down system isn't second-best, it's a matter of life and death. And as a new clip from the BBC show Life Story shows, the swapping process is remarkably orderly.
Hermit crabs need shells: without them, the critters will bake under the sun’s punishing rays, if they aren’t eaten first. The problem is hermit crabs are continually outgrowing their shells and the local real estate market is incredibly competitive. So when a spacious new shell washes up on shore, there’s a big to-do.
When a hermit crab spots a new shell, it’ll size up the shell for a good fit. If the shell is too big, the prospecting hermit crab will sit back and wait to steal the castoff shell ...
