What animal frequently changes its clothes?

Most crabs have a tough outer shell that’s hard to crack, but hermit crabs are a bit different. Their front legs are well armoured, but their bodies are actually soft and unprotected! To protect themselves, hermit crabs actually borrow empty shells from other animals like snails!

Unfortunately, the borrowed shell doesn’t grow as the hermit crab does, so when it gets big enough, it must change to a bigger shell, just like changing a suit of clothes! It can be hard to find empty shells, so sometimes hermit crabs end up in fierce battles to decide who is going to get an available shell. If there are no shells, hermit crabs vill covers themselves with bamboo or coconut shells. Some hermit crabs have even been known to move into things like empty soda cans!

Hermit crabs have two front pinchers, but one is bigger than the other. The big claw is used for fighting and defense, while the smaller claw is used for eating and drinking. The crab can also use it to decorate its shell.

Hermit crabs can be very picky about the shells they choose, and have even been known to decorate their shells by placing small anemones on them. This is useful for the crab because it can help the crab blend in with the reef, and it also provides added protection: anemones have poisonous stings, and many animals that might like to eat a hermit crab are afraid to come near a sea anemone!