5 ms·

Hermit crabs are 'wearing' humanity's plastic rubbish

14 points by adrian_mrd 3y ago

isaacfrond 3y ago
Life finds a way.
logicwins0 3y ago
On a tiny outer island near Belize 20 years ago there was a severe housing shortage for the numerous resident hermit crabs. Competition was fierce for shells. I have always loved hermit crabs, and I think it’s cool they make homes out of trash. I always thought it would be cool to design a bunch of artful hermit homes and give them away to homeless or fashion minded hermit crabs.
xhkkffbf 3y ago
The article seems to suggest that this is bad and "heartbreaking", but at least it does admit that the animals are doing it by choice. Maybe they like the colorful detritus and they gain status by wearing it? After all, humans used to like to wear animal furs for status. It's only fair.
- feoren 3y ago
  There are a lot of awful effects of plastic in the ocean, but I agree: this doesn't really seem like one of them. Hermit crabs seem to readily move into better homes if they find them, meaning that these are only providing them with more options.
- nuc1e0n 3y ago
  Natural? Artificial? It's all just atoms and the distinction is only in our minds. Discarded snail shells are also pollution. You may say that they break down and plastic doesn't but bacteria are evolving that eat plastic. Coal only exists because when trees first evolved there was initially no life that could break down dead wood.
6R1M0R4CL3 3y ago
if what we are doing to those poor animals don't touch your heart, you are a monster. look at what the F we are doing to the planet. look at that.
- pvaldes 3y ago
  I'm happy for the crabs being so smart
nuc1e0n 3y ago
Humans find plastic beneficial. Why wouldn't hermit crabs do the same?
RecycledEle 3y ago
I'm glad the crabe can make use of our refuse. I don't see why environmentalists have to be so mean-spirited as to be "heartbroken" that hermit crabs get durable and colorful new shells. Also, that pic of the crab in the red metal thing is fake and staged or Photoshopped. It would not be that well preserved in nature. Instead, it would have (at least) lots of scratches.

14 points by adrian_mrd 3y ago

Life finds a way.

On a tiny outer island near Belize 20 years ago there was a severe housing shortage for the numerous resident hermit crabs. Competition was fierce for shells. I have always loved hermit crabs, and I think it’s cool they make homes out of trash. I always thought it would be cool to design a bunch of artful hermit homes and give them away to homeless or fashion minded hermit crabs.

xhkkffbf 3y ago

The article seems to suggest that this is bad and "heartbreaking", but at least it does admit that the animals are doing it by choice. Maybe they like the colorful detritus and they gain status by wearing it? After all, humans used to like to wear animal furs for status. It's only fair.

feoren 3y ago
There are a lot of awful effects of plastic in the ocean, but I agree: this doesn't really seem like one of them. Hermit crabs seem to readily move into better homes if they find them, meaning that these are only providing them with more options.
nuc1e0n 3y ago
Natural? Artificial? It's all just atoms and the distinction is only in our minds. Discarded snail shells are also pollution. You may say that they break down and plastic doesn't but bacteria are evolving that eat plastic. Coal only exists because when trees first evolved there was initially no life that could break down dead wood.

6R1M0R4CL3 3y ago

if what we are doing to those poor animals don't touch your heart, you are a monster. look at what the F we are doing to the planet. look at that.

pvaldes 3y ago
I'm happy for the crabs being so smart

nuc1e0n 3y ago

Humans find plastic beneficial. Why wouldn't hermit crabs do the same?

RecycledEle 3y ago

I'm glad the crabe can make use of our refuse. I don't see why environmentalists have to be so mean-spirited as to be "heartbroken" that hermit crabs get durable and colorful new shells. Also, that pic of the crab in the red metal thing is fake and staged or Photoshopped. It would not be that well preserved in nature. Instead, it would have (at least) lots of scratches.