How different is a hermit crab from a normal crab? Basically the hermit crab has a soft bottom and the top half of its body, claws, legs and head area are covered by a hard shell. It has to hide this soft bottom to protect it. The best way for this crab to do it is to find an empty sea snail shell and coil its soft bottom up inside the shell. Once inside the crab carries the shell about as its home.
If you look carefully in rock pools you may see a shell moving across the bottom of the pool, watch it carefully and you will see the crabs legs and head sticking out. Pick it up and the crab will immediately withdraw into the shell, using its large front pincers to close the entrance or it will vanish completely inside. When you put it back make sure you put it back in the same place.
