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Chapter 1 Choosing Crustaceans: All About Hermit Crabs
In This Chapter Using this book effectively Defining a hermit crab Understanding the different types of crabs Checking out hermit crab anatomy
elcome to the world of hermit crabs! Although they are Wunusual pets, hermit crabs (or hermies, as their keepers affectionately call them) are very popular with people of all ages. Maybe you’re a parent buying this book for your child or a kid buying it with your hard-earned cash. Maybe you just bought a hermit crab and need the essential scoop on getting set up as well as some general care info, or you’ve had one for a while but want a refresher on the best way to care for your hermie. No matter what your reason, this book gives you all the information you need to choose the right crab and take care of its every need, without bog- ging you down in lots of technical stuff. Although several hundred types of hermit crabs live around the world (including marine hermit crabs), this book focuses on six land hermit crabs that are commonly kept as pets in the United States. COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL First Things First: Using This Book Hermit Crabs For Dummies is designed so you can find the answer to a specific question easily, without reading through lots of informa- tion you don’t want at that particular moment. Begin with Chapter 4 if you need basic setup information, flip to Chapter 5 if you need to know what to do with a molting crab, or head to Chapter 2 if you’re still on the fence about adding hermit crabs to your family. Or if you prefer, start at the beginning and read until you hit the back cover. 04_574418 ch01.qxd 8/27/04 12:17 PM Page 2
2 Hermit Crabs For Dummies
As you read, keep an eye out for text in italics, which indicates a new term and a nearby definition — so there’s no need to spend time hunting through a glossary. The monofont points out Web addresses worth checking out for additional information. You also run into a few sidebars (the occasional gray box); although the infor- mation in the sidebars is good, it’s not essential to the discussion at hand, so skip ’em if you want to.
Be on the lookout for the following icons sprinkled throughout the text that point out important information:
This symbol draws attention to dangerous situations or common mistakes hermit crab owners can make.
This icon points out helpful hints or tips that make your life (and hermit crab keeping) easier.
You see this icon whenever there is crucial information to keep in mind.
This icon highlights technical information. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this material and come back to it later.
This icon highlights hermit crab care or behavior unique to a cer- tain type or species of hermit crab.
You can find any other information you need in either the table of contents or the index. Have fun with your hermits! What Is a Hermit Crab Anyway? So just what is a hermit crab? You may be surprised to learn that the term hermit crab is a misnomer. Hermit crabs aren’t hermits, and they aren’t crabs either (at least not in the true sense).
Thoroughly confused? Not a problem. This section sorts the mys- tery out by taking a look at both true crabs and hermit crabs. 04_574418 ch01.qxd 8/27/04 12:17 PM Page 3
Chapter 1: Choosing Crustaceans: All About Hermit Crabs 3
True or false? Hermit crabs are not crabs True crabs, like the one in Figure 1-1, are commonly found along seashores and are related to lobsters and shrimp. They have five pairs of legs (four of which are used for walking) and a hard shell that protects their short abdomens. Photo credit: PhotoDisc, Inc. Figure 1-1: True crabs have hard shells covering their entire bodies.
Although hermit crabs have many features similar to true crabs (they both live by the seashore and have five pairs of legs, for example), they look quite different, as you can tell from Figure 1-2. Here is a short list of some differences between the two: