Costa Rica Picture of the Day (August 3rd, 2013) – Each day the Costa Rican Times will be including a picture from around Costa Rica to see the natural beauty and amazing things that we get to see each day in the land of the Pura Vida. Costa Rica Pictures of the Day
If you are walking on the beaches of Costa Rica you are likely to stumble into a Hermit Crab. These type of crabs are part of the Animalia Kingdom and common in Costa Rica.
Unlike other crabs, the Hermit Crab does not have a very hard shell. In fact, it uses the old shells of other animals for protection, and as it grows it must find a larger shell.
The Hermit crab squeezes into the shell backwards securing the back four legs into the shells while the front four are used for walking. In total these type of crabs have ten legs. Two of the legs are the chelipeds which are different sizes and are used to grab the prey.
There are many species of Hermit Crabs around the world and they vary in color and size. Most of these crabs live on the ocean floor but many can be found on land.
By Brenda Sotelo/Picture Brenda Sotelo
