# Caribbean hermit crab (*Coenobita clypeatus*)

The Caribbean hermit crab is a small crab that loves to live in shells. They are fun to watch as they scuttle around and change shells when they grow bigger!

- **Category:** [Invertebrate](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/invertebrate)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 3
- **Habitat:** Coastal areas
- **Also known as:** Land hermit crab

![Caribbean hermit crab](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Caribbean_hermit_crab.JPG&width=800)

Photo: ZooFari, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Caribbean_hermit_crab.JPG)

## Appearance

The Caribbean hermit crab has a reddish-brown to orange body and striking purple or bluish claws, with one noticeably larger. Its eyes are on short stalks, peeking out from its often mottled or banded shell, which it carries for protection.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Malacostraca
- **Order:** Decapoda
- **Family:** Coenobitidae
- **Genus:** Coenobita

## Interesting facts

- If a hermit crab loses a leg, it can impressively grow a brand new one back!
- Their stalked eyes allow them to see almost 360 degrees around them for safety!
- They have specialized gills to breathe air, letting them live mostly on land!
- When finding a new home, they sometimes form 'vacancy chains' to swap shells!

## Special abilities

- **Mobile Home:** Caribbean hermit crab can carry an empty snail shell that helps them protect their soft abdomen from predators.
- **Giant Claw Shield:** Caribbean hermit crab has one oversized claw that helps them block the entrance to their shell, acting like a door.
- **Shell Swapper:** Caribbean hermit crab can regularly find and switch into larger, more comfortable shells as they grow bigger.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 1-6 cm
- **Weight:** 0.005-0.08 kg
- **Lifespan:** 5-15 years
- **Speed:** 0.1 km/h
- **Litter Size:** 1-4
- **Gestation:** 25-40 days

## Diet & Feeding

These crabs eat almost anything they find, from plants to tiny creatures and scraps!

- **Primary Foods:** algae, decaying plants, small insects, fallen fruit, carrion
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Depends on:** Florida Rocksnail (*Stramonita haemastoma*) — Uses their empty shells as protective homes.
- **Eaten by:** [Black rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-rat) (*Rattus rattus*) — Coastal rats will prey on them, especially smaller ones.
- **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Raccoons forage along beaches and prey on them.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter.
- [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
- [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater.
- [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind.

## Collections

- [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Be gentle and don’t pick them up too much, as they can get scared.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Caribbean hermit crab?

Look for fins, arms, tentacles, shells and body symmetry. Underwater light shifts colors, so structure and markings usually matter more than shade. Sea Creature Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Caribbean hermit crab?

1-6 cm

### How much does Caribbean hermit crab weigh?

0.005-0.08 kg

### How long does Caribbean hermit crab live?

5-15 years

### How fast can Caribbean hermit crab move?

0.1 km/h

### What does Caribbean hermit crab eat?

These crabs eat almost anything they find, from plants to tiny creatures and scraps!

### Where is Caribbean hermit crab usually found?

Coastal areas

### How does Caribbean hermit crab hunt?

Foraging

## Where to spot

- [Boca Chita Key Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boca-chita-key-historic-district) — US · Historic District
- [Jones Family Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jones-family-historic-district) — US · Historic District

## More Invertebrate

- [Coral](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coral)
- [Crab Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crab-spider) (*Mecaphesa asperata*)
- [Garden Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-spider) (*Araneus diadematus*)
- [Brown Recluse Spider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-recluse-spider) (*Loxosceles reclusa*)

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Source: [Caribbean hermit crab: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/caribbean-hermit-crab)