However, far too many shells are harvested, leaving many in the wild without easy access to a larger shell to upgrade into. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t get a hermit crab as a pet.

Instead, hermit crabs have a hard exoskeleton on the front part of their bodies but a soft tail on the other half, which they protect using the discarded shells of other animals, like whelks.

As hermit crabs grow, they will change into new, larger shells. Make sure to have a few ... enough for the crab to soak in ...