We have hermit crabs. From the beach of Similajau National Park of Bintulu, Sarawak.My colleague RL had this epiphany while on the beach that we should pick up some crabs which are apparently sold for like RM20 each in KL and keep them as pets.
So now in our hotel room in a takeaway box (which www.hermit-crabs.com/ tells me is not quite the right crabitat but we'll figure something out), we have about 15 active crustaceans and a clam, which frankly quite shocked us by turning out to be alive.
We feed them all a diet of drinking water and Quaker oats which they seem to enjoy, and these guys have really been quite entertaining with their daily clambering and digging, and more clambering and more digging - it's incredibly peaceful yet intriguing to watch.
Some trivia, correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that hermit crabs:
1. Move backwards or sideways but never forward
2. Move their legs in circular breast-strokes, which sort of explains how they form those sandballs on the beach
3. Like standing on each other alot
4. Have one big and one small claw..
...and we're still learning.
I managed to cajole the hotel's housekeeping guy to feed the boys (we like to believe they are boys) over the long Labour Day / Wesak weekend. Apart from being slightly worried they might get out of the box and under the sheets, he's pretty game. Have I mentioned how great these Everly people are?
4 comments:
Crabitats! Hah! I'm sure there's tremendous amounts of wonderful stuff to learn from these critters.
that's actually quite cute...
Hi Lucia-I am sorry to report that I got back to the hotel this evening I got this note:
"I'm very sorry about your siput (Malay for snail-well they were crabs, not snails but nvm). They died from the cold (air-conditioning) and I've thrown them away because they were starting to smell. Forgive me! M.Mur (Housekeeping)".
Oh well-we're still harbouring some hope that they're clambering around the trash somewhere.
Hiyee Steph long time no hear! Still gallivanting arnd the world with BAT?
dunno whether to say fortunate or unfortunate... but yes, I'm still with BAT.. flying like a bird!! hehehehe.
hope things are going well with you.
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