Mr. Crabs Changes Shells...AGAIN!

 Mrs. Derringer was cleaning up the crabitat after school on Wednesday in preparation for the end of the year...when she moved the shells and went to pull Mr. Crabs out, "Gasp!" His shell was empty!

There were two very similar shells in the crabitat: the one Mr. Crabs had previously inhabited took on an orange-tinted color after we had the orange hermit crab sand a couple months back. The orange-tinted shell sat empty, with just a bit of water inside!

Mr. Crabs was found burrowed deep down in the sand...in the OTHER shell that was almost just like the one he had before! The shells even have the same little shiny spot on the side. They can be told apart by the color of the shell itself: the old one has the orange tint, and the new one looks cleaner and has a greenish tint.

We still haven't found a molted exoskeleton in the crabitat, but if you look very closely at Mr. Crabs' second pair of legs, you can see prominent hairs. According to our research materials, this is a sign of a freshly molted crab! We assume he probably molted and ate his exoskeleton...yum!

Mr. Crabs got a special salt water bath as a house-warming present!  :)

Hermit Learnit in the Classroom: Third Grade Edition!

 Hermit Learnit in the classroom!

Student Blog Post:

Hermit Learnit Parent Night 2015!

 Hermit Learnit Parent Night was a CRABTASTIC success!

 

Imagination Station: Hide Construction

 As we prepared for our Hermit Learnit Parent Night at the end of May, we spent time in the Imagination Station to explore possible alternative hide constructions based on the geometric shapes assigned in Math class. We invited our preschool Book Buddies to accompany us, and here were some of our creations!

Student Blog Post:

Hermies Deserve Presents Too!

Our hermit crab habitat project has come to an end! As a reward for all their hard work, we presented our hermies with a gift: a custom-made hermie hammock crocheted from all-natural jute! (Yes, yes, we DO spoil them!)

As soon as Mrs. Derringer hung up the hammock, Mr. Crabs surprised us all by getting adventurous and climbing right up onto it to check it out! Over the next few days, all the crabs moved behind it, using it as a new hide!

We also did a full clean-out of their crabitat and replaced all the old sand with fresh new coconut fiber. We added another inch or two of substrate to see if they seemed to like this better, and they burrowed down so far that we thought someone had crab-napped them! We really had to poke around carefully to locate them- Home Run was all the way down under the food dish, Mr Crabs was underneath the big blue plant, and Ranger was underneath the "I'm Crabby" sign.

We think that perhaps they wanted to dig deep to relax after all their recent crabitat adventures, and we are hoping that one of them molts before the school year ends so we can see what a shed exoskeleton looks like!

Group Six, Super Crab Paradise: Day Four

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we found it Friday morning!)

This is the last day of the crabtastic project. I guessed that no one would go in my tub, and I was right. No one came. It was very fun doing the project. I want to do it again! I wish it took more time...

Group Five, Cool Crab Mansion: Day Four

Group Four, The Crabby Resort: Day Four

Group Three, Crabby Condo: Day Four

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we found it Friday morning!)

Today is Day Four of our hermit crab project. Home Run and Ranger were in Group Three's crabitat, The Crabby Condo. Some observations for the Crabby Condo are that the climbing branch fell over. The food shell had coconut fiber in it, and there wasn't as much food. These are some observations I made on The Crabby Condo. I wouldn't change a thing about this project. It was really fun!

Group Two, The Hermit Crab Bay: Day Four

Group One, Hermie Hotel: Day Four

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we found it Friday morning!)

On Friday we did the final part of our experiment. The crabs were all over the place! Home Run and Ranger were both in Group Three's bin, while Mr. Crabs was in Group Five's bin. If we did this again, I would change the positioning of the openings. Some holes were on the short side, and some were on the long one. I would let the hermit crabs stay in all day, but put them back in the middle of the end. I would have Mrs. Derringer provide shells. Overall, this was a fun project! We hot to design our own hide. We all got to watch the crabs being released. The project was so fun!

Bath Time!

The crabs have been so busy exploring their new overnight playground that they needed a BATH!

When we came into school today, we found that the crabs had been burrowing in the moist coconut fiber in the crabitats, and when we removed them, they were covered in fluff! You can observe the fiber particles on Home Run's shell, and Ranger had a huge clump of fiber on his back side!

Home Run seemed a bit more sluggish and slow to come out of his shell this morning, which had Mr. Derringer worried. As we have come to know our crabbies, we have been able to observe their behavioral differences. Mr. Crabs is always hesitant and extremely slow to come out of his shell. When he is moved, he will sometimes sit perfectly still for up to a full minute or more. He will then typically poke out one feeler...then the other...then a leg...and sloooooowly start to crawl around and explore. Ranger has always seemed to be the sociable one: it's actually a little freaky when we pick him up, because he hangs so far out of his shell that we worry he will pop out entirely! Home Run is sort of in between: he is more hesitant that Ranger, but he seems more tructing and curious than Mr. Crabs. Poor Home Run just didn't seem like himself this morning. Bath time always perks the hermies up, and it did the trick this morning: Home Run was hesitant at first, but then he popped right out and started crawling all around in the water and on the wet towel!

We are concerned that he may be either a little stressed out from all the new activity, or that he may be getting ready to molt. When we found him in the Crabby Condo this morning, he was under the Coco Hut, and he was churning up the substrate in an odd way. Several students commented on his unusual behavior. When we placed him back in his original crabitat this morning, he went directly to the water bowls and burrowed completely underneath them! Only the tiny tip of his shell was visible.

When we released the crabs in the Hermit Learnit structure for the last time this afternoon, he took off as usual...we hope he is able to find a cozy, moist hiding spot tonight and that all is well with our little Home Run in the morning!

Group Six, Super Crab Paradise: Day Three

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Wednesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Thursday morning.)

I am going to be blogging about the Hermit Learnit Crab Project, Day Three. Today Home Run was in the Crabby Condo. He has been in there every day since the start! Ranger was in the Hermie Hotel, and that was their first crab. Mr. Crabs was in the Cool Crab Mansion. He seems to like that place. Thank you for reading this blog post today...good-bye!

Group Five, Cool Crab Mansion: Day Three

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Wednesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Thursday morning, but the structure on the right is missing from the picture because Mr. Crabs was wedged in the back of this one and we had to deconstruct the hide to rescue him!)

Today Mr. Crabs was in the square hide. He broke the hide! I was surprised that he would be in the hide. I think we should secure the hide more. I hope Mr. Crabs will come back tomorrow!

Group Four, The Crabby Resort: Day Three

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Wednesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Thursday morning.)

Today was day three of our hermit crab adventure. My observation was that the coconut fiber was clumped. The changes we needed to make were to move the hide back to where it belonged. My prediction is that the crabs will stay where they were, and this was Day Three!

Group Three, Crabby Condo: Day Three

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Wednesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Thursday morning.)

Home Run was in our crabitat! The food was all scattered about and the water level was down below the bottom of the bowl. We did not see any hermit crab droppings. We need to refill our food and water bowls to get ready for the last day. I predict that Ranger will end up in our crabitat on Friday.

Group Two, The Hermit Crab Bay: Day Three

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Wednesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Thursday morning.)

On Thursday morning, nothing in our crabitat had changed. Some food was in the coconut fiber, but nothing else had happened. The changes we made today were to move the food and water. Our predictions were that we will have one crab in our crabitat!

Group One, Hermie Hotel: Day Three

Note: Mrs. Derringer failed to take an aerial view of this crabitat before the crab drop on Day Three...but she DID take a picture of Ranger hanging out in the Hermie Hotel hide after school!

Student Blogger Post!

(The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Thursday morning.)

Group Five, The Cool Crab Mansion: Day Two

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Tuesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Wednesday morning.)

It looks like our coral was buried in our coconut fiber! So the hermies loved that coral! I think we should bring our coral up on the coconut fiber, and maybe dust the plastic plant. I think that Mr. Crabs will ruin the coral by digging it in the coconut fiber. Finally, I think Home Run will come in and maybe ruin the ladder up!

Group Three, Crabby Condo: Day Two

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Tuesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Wednesday morning.)

Today had some interesting results. Ranger was in hut number two, as Mr. Crabs followed in his footsteps and was also there. The crabs didn't seem to want to go out of Group Two's hide. Today Home Run was in the same hut as yesterday (Group 3). Everyone is excited to see tomorrow's results.

Group Six, Super Crab Paradise: Day Two

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Tuesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Wednesday morning.)

Today my group made observations and today is the second day. I think we got visitors last night. I think we should add more things for them to do. In Group 6 we have only gotten one hermit crab to come, and that was Ranger. The Hermit Learnit is a great idea. I think our hide and our crabitat is great!

Group Four, The Crabby Resort: Day Two

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Tuesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Wednesday morning.)

I am in Group 4, and as you know, our crabitat is sad. The hide is, sadly, very little. We don't have any accessories. Don't laugh, our crabitat is sad. I think we should move things around just to make it more interesting. I don't think the crabs will be in our crabitat. I hope you enjoyed this.

Group Two, Hemit Crab Bay: Day Two

Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Tuesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Wednesday morning.)

This morning we whipped out our data sheets and checked on the crabbies. I checked my group last. So I could only find Home Run. I looked in mine and found Mr. Crabs and Ranger. The crabitat was a mess! Food was everywhere: in the water, in the hut, and by the plants! There was also some crabbie maneur! We will keep everything the same. We hope they come back again!

Group One, Hermie Hotel: Day Two

 Student Blogger Post!

(The top picture shows the crabitat as we left it on Tuesday afternoon. The bottom picture shows the crabitat as we found it on Wednesday morning.)

Today was the second day of the adventure of "Hermit Learnit." The hermit crabs have gone from hide to hide, deciding which one they like best. Group One and Group Four have had no luck getting a hermit crab to stay in their crabitat. Group One found some signs of at least one hermit in their crabitat. They discovered poop, food spills, and less fresh and salt water. Home Run has stayed in Group Three's bin for the past two days. The hermit crabs' adventure will continue. We will be back with more information tomorrow. Bye!

Day One: Crab Drop!

The first day of the Hermit Learnit experiment was a great success! We got a little nervous at the last minute...what if the crabs didn't go anywhere, and just stayed in the middle chamber the whole night?

But that is NOT what happened! The crabs took off right away! Home Run crawled over to the corner and burrowed down in the sand. Range took off down one of the tunnels. Mr. Crabs took his time getting motivated, but he finally went exploring too!

Mrs. Derringer came back to check on the hermies a couple hours after their "drop" to make sure everyone was ok, and she found that the hermies had already started enjoying their new hides!