Third Grade
Worksheets
Hermit Crabs
Some animals just don't live up to their names. Take hermit crabs, for example. Hermits are people who like to live alone. Hermit crabs don't like to be alone. Crabby people are not friendly. Hermit crabs are very friendly. They make excellent pets.
There are over eleven hundred species of hermit crabs around the world. Hermit crabs belong to the crustacean group of animals. Some hermit crabs live in the water, and some live on land. In the wild, these crabs are social and live in colonies. One hermit crab colony might have as many as 100 members.
Hermit crabs hatch from eggs. A baby hermit crab is called a zoea and is only 1/8" long. Both marine and land hermit crabs spend about one year growing into mature adults. They go through a process called molting to grow. Both kinds of hermit crabs start their lives in the ocean, but then land hermit crabs leave the water. They lose their ability to breathe underwater and have modified gills so that they can breathe air.
