Australian Land Hermit Crab

The Australian land hermit crab is a nocturnal, omnivorous, and gregarious terrestrial hermit crab native to northern Australia, including northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and northern Queensland, thriving in tropical areas near water. It reaches a carapace length of about 40 millimeters, with light to pale brown coloring, two dark ovals on the front of its head, eyestalks that match its body color, dark vertical stripes on each claw, and dark brown spots on its legs. It forages at night and visually assesses shells before switching to a new one, competing intensely with other crabs for the limited supply of empty shells large enough to accommodate it as it grows.