From the Editor
Hermit crabs and the Jersey Shore go together – just ask Martin Z. Mollusk, the famous Ocean City mascot.
You can’t miss them as you wander down the boardwalk. Hanging from their wire cages, hundreds poke out of their shells, scrambling over one another. They range in size from tiny to nearly the size of your fist.
Children clamor around choosing their new friend with excitement. The parents however, look a little less excited, as they inquire about what they need to purchase to care for their newest family member. In the end the family walks off; the child carrying the hermit crab in a little box – looking no less proud than a new mom leaving the hospital.
Getting your first (second or third, etc..) hermit crab is a rite of passage for many families. I know it was for mine.
Our three children got their first hermit crabs around the age of 6. Friends were visiting with their two children who also got their first hermit crabs. Oh the excitement that ensued!
There were hermit crab races across the kitchen floor, race courses constructed out of elaborate cardboard box cut outs and even the hermit crab “Olympic Games.”
The crabs rarely pinch, but if they do, they are notorious for NOT letting go. That happened to my daughter once. She ended up flinging it off her finger in her bedroom. Her brother and sister and I spent an hour looking for it, amongst her toys, books and piles of stuffed animals. At last, we spotted it under her bed. Her brother then “saved” her by placing it back in its cage with the lid secured on tightly. That was her last hermit crab.
However, between her brother and sister, hermit crabs maintained their presence in our home for at least another 10 years.
Once we let our son purchase one of the largest hermit crabs I’ve ever seen on the Wildwood Boardwalk. He walked away proudly with it in a cardboard travel box. By this time, we had many cages and accessories at home for the crab’s comfort. We decided to stop for ice cream before driving the 45 minutes home. When we came back to the car, though , the crab was gone. It had broken out of the box and was loose somewhere in the car.
After a lengthy search, there was still no hermit crab to be found. Ultimately, we had to get in the car to drive home, knowing that this BIG crab was lurking about. That’s the moment I realized just how scary these creatures are! I kept nervously looking over my shoulder and under my legs, waiting for the pinch that felt imminent.
Pull over! I exclaimed as we headed north on the Parkway. “It” had peered out from under my seat. Whew! The rest of the ride was much more relaxing to say the least. Like mine, I’ll bet so many families could tell a hermit crab story or two.
Check out the feature on hermit crabs on page 9, that is full of interesting facts and information on how to care for them. Now that it’s officially summer, it’s time for fun and adventure! Check out the listicle on page 44-45 with plenty of suggestions to add to your summer bucket list.
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Peace & Love,
Cindy
