Hermit crabs have soft, unprotected abdomens they protect by moving into some other creature's cast-off shell. When natural seashells aren't available, however, they'll crabbily move into some uncouth human's cast-off trash.
Head Case
Not even the hosting website knows where this creepy “skull crab” image originally came from but at least we can be assured it's most likely a photoshop and not real. We CAN be assured that, right? RIGHT?? (image via My Confined Space)
Like A Brick House
New squid in the block? Heh, he probably gets that all the time since trading his cramped sea snail shell for this awesome Megablok. Imagine stepping on THAT in the middle of the night, yikes! We do have some love life advice for this small-block-crabby: don't mate with any other Megablok-totin' hermit crabs – you might never be able to disengage. (image via Imgur/brb4ever)
Go Home, Crab, You're Drunk
Half bottle, will travel? Maybe not in a straight line, but sure! Give this resourceful hermit crab some credit: any predator or competitor who decides to take him on is going to get the sharp end of the stick, so to speak. (image via Crisalida)
Gotta Light?
PetsLady's own Laurie Kay Olson highlighted, er, this brilliant (sorry) hermit crab back in January of 2015 but the bulb-ous beastie deserves another turn in the spotlight. One would hope no near-sighted beachcomber picks him up and takes him home, 'cuz then he'd really be screwed. (image via Batchiara)
Pipe Dream
Need a new home, li'l hermit crab? Don't be afraid, you conduit! Life's like a Hollywood movie for her now, provided that movie is The L-Shaped Room. (image via Bored Bug)
Can Shelled
So what's a can of crab go for these days? Well, this one goes pretty much anywhere it pleases thanks to its lightweight, impact-resistant metal “shell”. Better enjoy life while you can, dude, and don't forget the immortal words of Neil Young: rust never sleeps. (image via BBC 2)
Clean Living
We're not sure whether this hermit crab's beached or bleached... why not both! Indeed, it's easy to clean house when said house is the cap of a laundry detergent bottle. The label's long lost but the cap probably topped a bottle of Surf or Tide. (image via The Dodo)
Nuthouse
In a nutshell, this hermit crab's home is, er, a nutshell. It might not seem to be much of a shelter from clawed and toothed predators but this decapod David will win if Goliath happens to be allergic. (image via Neatorama)
Bottled Up
We've heard of cracking open a cold one but this is ridiculous! Seriously, this hermit crab really should seek some extra emotional support since it's obviously all bottled up. Not that living in the top of a broken bottle is twisted or anything but that would be the best way to open the cap. (image via Medium)
Hey There Doll Face
Hermit crabs using flotsam and jetsam for their shells can be kinda weird but when they use discarded and discombobulated doll heads, well, that's just creepy.
Check out our earlier in-depth look at one such doll-crab conjunction here but wait, it gets worse: the hair-raising practice has been noted more than just once. Maybe the crabs LIKE crawling around with their soulless, hairless, eyeless doll heads, freaking everyone out. Enjoy a nervous chuckle now but... what happens when the crabs run out of doll heads to occupy, hmm? (image via The Crab Street Journal)
