Transcript Hermit Crabs - WordPress.com

Did You Know?
A Book All About Hermit Crabs!
Written by
Mrs. DeBord’s Second Grade Class
Did You Know?
A Book All About Hermit Crabs!
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo146283.htm
Written by Mrs. DeBord’s Second Grade Class
DeBord Publishing Company
Copyright 2011
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For
our families,
friends,
teachers,
and especially
Herman!
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Table of Contents
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What is a hermit crab?
Life Cycle/Life Span
Diet
Can you carry your house on your back?
Predators and Protection
Cool Facts
The Perfect Pet
About the Authors
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What is a hermit crab?
The hermit
crab's relatives
are the spider
and lobster.
http://cronkyberry.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/crab_6001.jpg
http://hermitcrabpetcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/hermit20crab1-300x206.jpg
A hermit crab is part of the crustacean family.
However, a hermit crab is not a true crab. It’s
shell is not attached to its body like other
crabs.
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A hermit crab changing shells.
hqdefault.jpg
A hermit crab must borrow a discarded shell
from another animal. Hermit crabs usually
scavenge a shell from a mollusk snail.
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A hermit crab strolling on the beach.
A hermit crab crawling on the ocean floor.
ehow.com
robots4farms.com
Hermit crabs can live on land or in the water.
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There are over 500 species of
hermit crabs, found all over the
world. Ocean hermit crabs are
found off the coast of Europe,
North and South America, and
Australia. Land hermit crabs are
found in warm places like the
Caribbean, Florida, and Australia.
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http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/willow/hermit-crab-info0.gif
Herman, our class pet
A hermit crab has four sets of jointed legs and
one set of pincers.
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A hermit crab climbing up a stalk.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/susandaniels/2442527076/
The claws or pincers are used for eating,
climbing and defending itself against
predators.
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Blue leg Hermit Crab
http://www.culturedaquaticlife.com/products/livestock/invertebrate/crab/dwarfbluelegCrab_Detail.shtml
The first two sets of legs are used for walking
and finding food. The back set of legs are
used to hold the hermit crab inside its’ shell.
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A teeny, tiny hermit crab.
A BIG surprise when taking out the trash!
http://www.squidoo.com/hermit-crab-gifts
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/a-giant-spider-that-can-crack-a-coconut-no-its-a-crab.html
Hermit crabs can be many sizes. If you look closely
you may find one while playing on the beach. A
coconut hermit crab can grow to gigantic
proportions!
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http://lh4.ggpht.com/_NW1e9RsoDyw/SHYzhaOk3NI/AAAAAAAABsU/7g765WtoYN8/DSC03703.JPG
A hermit crab has antennae and two large eyes that
protrude from stalks. These eyes help the crab stay
alert for predators and find food.
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The Life Cycle
Female hermit crabs
keep the eggs inside
their shells until they
are big enough. When
they are ready, she
releases them into the
ocean.
budd-eaze.com
Every time the hermit
crab grows, its
exoskeleton doesn't so it
needs to molt and grow a
new one. It then needs to
find a new shell to live in
that fits. Some hermit
crabs only live for 2-3
months but they can live
up to 15-20 years.
Hermit crabs will eat
the exoskeleton that
they shed to get extra
calcium to help grow a
new one.
They hatch into a zoea
larva. It grows by
molting and then
growing into a new
exoskeleton. The claws
and antennae develop
during this time.
crabstreetjournal.com
After one more
molt it becomes a
hermit crab. Now
it is ready to find
a shell to keep it
safe.
http://hermitcrabpetcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/
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http://www.biology.duke.edu/johnsenlab/new%20gallery
Diet
Plankton
Sea Worm
junglewalk.com
http://www.mindfully.org/Water/2005/Plankton-Vanishing12jul05.htm
Hermit crabs eat both animals and plants. For
example: mussels, small plankton and worms. They
also are called scavengers because they will eat dead
plants and animals.
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Strawberry Hermit Crab
http://www.crabbytalk.com/wp-content/eating2.jpg
Hermit crabs pick its food off the bottom of the ocean with its
claws. If the food is too big, it rips it into pieces with its claws.
They drink by dipping their claws into water and putting it into
the gills or mouth.
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Can you carry your house on your back?
Many people think
anemones are plants.
They are actually
animals!
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jvsM6klryUg/SXc4gheOBnI/AAAAAAAACPM/musrCqG2lBU/s400/ane
mone+hermit+crab.jpg
A hermit crab carries its home where ever it goes. When it
travels it doesn’t even need to pack. Sea anemones often
attach to hermit crabs. The anemone provides camouflage for
the crab, while the crab provides food for the anemone.
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Predators and Protection
http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/octopus.jpg
http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/octopus.jpg
A hermit crab’s enemies are sea birds, fish,
octopi, crabs, and other hermit crabs.
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Get ready to rumble!
http://www.picassodreams.com/photos/nature/fighting-hermit-crabs.html#tp
The crab fights off other crabs with its claws.
Their main defense is to crawl back into their
shell and they use their claws to block the
entrance.
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http://cultivateyourwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/hermit-crab.jpg
A hermit crab has a special ability! When a predator
attacks, a hermit crab will detach a leg or pincer to
escape. The hermit will grow a replacement leg fairly
quickly.
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Cool Facts
Hermit crabs are usually nocturnal. That
means they move around more at night than
during the day.
Hermit crabs have been heard making
croaking sounds. Scientists are still trying to
find out what they mean.
It's very hard to tell if a hermit crab is a boy
or a girl.
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The Perfect Pet
What you need:
* a cage/tank
*gravel
*extra shells
*food dish
*sponge
Hermit crabs make great low maintenance pets! They
are also very entertaining animals; they can climb,
dig, and even hold on to your shirt with their claws
as you walk.
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Glossary
scavenge – pick over junk or garbage to use
proportions – size, number, or amount of something
protrude – to stick out
maintenance – up keep
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About the Authors
We are second graders at Yadkinville Elementary School in
Yadkinville, North Carolina. We were inspired to write a
non-fiction book about hermit crabs by our own class pet,
Herman the hermit crab!
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Mrs. DeBord’s Class 2010-2011
Alkhansaa Alshaif
Gage Blakely
Lauren Brown
Reid Coe
Alex De La Torre
Susy Gonzalez
Kendall Irvin
Dazey Messer
Janeth Payan
Hayden Reavis
Chloe Rucker
Zola Sheek
Allen Smith
Chance Stephens Sebastian
Zachary Vanhoy
Hedilberto Velasquez-Torres
Mackenzie Warden
Treasure Wilds
Aryel Rameriz
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