Chain reaction hermit crab shell exchange

[sl8]

Last edited Sat Oct 28, 2017, 09:22 AM - Edit history (1)

Amazing Crabs Shell Exchange - Life Story - BBC

Published on Sep 25, 2015
As a hermit crab grows its shell becomes a tighter fit so eventually the crabs need to move into a bigger one, leading to an amazing exchange. Taken from Life Story.

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[HAB911]

1. This should be on HGTV!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

2. That is so funny and a tribute to Mother Nature!

Thanks - I love Sir David and all his films.

[TubbersUK]

3. Love this, thanks. n/t

[packman]

4. First rule of real estate

Location, location, location- getting into the right neighborhood.

[genxlib]

5. Fascinating

I would bet that our human proclivity for collecting shells has put a serious hurting on this species. It might be one of the most direct versions of habitat destruction in nature since we are literally taking away their future homes.

Something did strike me about the end of the piece. It makes it sound like the runt was stuck with the one bad shell that was left. But after all the relocations, there should have been at least 2 shells to choose from since they started with an empty shell.

[sl8]

7. Good catch, regarding the missing shell(s).

I'm beginning to think the whole thing was just a shell game.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. That was just fascinating!

And the editing + the narrator made it a bit hilarious. I wouldn't be surprised if the person filming found a nearby small shell and placed it there for the homeless guy.

[apkhgp]

8. Life Story

This goes on every day all over the world with every species. Mother Nature can be cruel or she can be heartwarming. It depends on which perspective you are looking at it from.

[BigmanPigman]

9. I had a similar video of a crab leaving its smaller

shell and slipping out of it so smoothly that you could barely detect it. I used to show it to my first graders each year and they would make me rewind it about 7 or 8 times it was so cool. The one of a python eating a live mouse was also a big hit.