As I was walking along my local beach yesterday I just about stood on this creepy little fella. Or at least, I thought it was a creepy little fella at first glance. Turns out there was no need to worry about getting my toes nipped, the former inhabitant of this shell was long gone! After a bit of googling I found that crabs actually periodically molt their shells to allow themselves room to grow. So hopefully the former inhabitant of this one had found itself somewhere a little safer to hang out!
Haha! Wonder what he 'up-sized' to :) Glad you didn't stand on him!
ReplyDeleteI know they molt, but the idea of peeling off one's outer flesh or shell and crawling out is a rather unpleasant idea!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about crabs. Those Alaska King Crabs must shed their shells several times before they become such monsters.
ReplyDeleteI have done a lot of photo related googling in the last decade, live, photograph and learn.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that crabs left their shell behind. It looks like a creepy spider. And a gorgeous view of the beach world.
ReplyDeletedetailed photo of the horror!
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
<3
Didn't know that about crabs, actually.
ReplyDeleteHe may have taken on a totally different persona!
ReplyDeleteThat shell doth a rather scary aura...I don't think I would have just picked it up! What a scene, though!
ReplyDeleteThat is a very pretty beach! My son once had a hermit crab as a pet. I don't think it lived long enough to outgrow its shell though.
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