Meeting Abstract
Typical population counts of land hermit crabs are made from intertidal and ground areas. Examining shell use by hermit crabs which are found in trees is rarely distinguished in these counts. The shell is a critical resource on land providing not only protection from predation but also a protection from desiccation. Shell characteristics of hermit crabs collected from trees and other plants compared to those found on the ground reveal some interesting differences, especially for female crabs.
