Hobbies And Interests
Birds
Shoreline birds are a significant predator for hermit crabs living along shores. Seagulls and wading birds will target crabs that have ventured onto the beach, rock or in shallow water. The bird pecks the hermit crab's shell to crack it and then picks out the crab's soft exoskeleton inside.
Reptiles and Amphibians
The crab is eaten by sea and land-dwelling reptiles and amphibians. Sea turtles, like the green and hawksbill, can swallow a hermit crab while it's still inside its shell. On land, large lizards prey on the crab as it tries to hide in trees. Amphibians on land also prey on the crab. Cane toads are a particular subspecies of toad that eats the hermit crab.
Mammals
Some subspecies of hermit crabs are prey to land-dwelling mammals. Large rodents, like the rat, eat the soft exoskeleton. Humans have also be known to use the crab as a source of food.
Fish and Crustaceans
A dangerous threat to the hermit crab is from its own family: the true crab. The true crab is different to the hermit because it grows its own shell. The true crab can break the hermit's shell with its large claws and eat the inside. Other marine predators include fish, including the yellowfin tuna.
Other Sea-Dwellers
The hermit crab is low on the food chain in the sea. For those living in deep waters, the crab is food for the octopus. The octopus is strong enough to break the shell and eat the soft exoskeleton inside. It has also been known to swallow hermit crab and shell whole.