#hermit crab supplies

[happycrabitat]

Take the memory, leave the shell! Watch what happens when we return seashells to the beach & marine hermit crabs!

Seashells are so important to beaches for a whole host of reasons.

🐚Over-shelling can affect hermit crabs because it reduces the availability of suitable shells for them to inhabit. Hermit crabs rely on empty shells of other creatures for protection and shelter. When there are too few shells available, hermit crabs may be forced to inhabit inadequate shells & pollution as homes, which can hinder their growth and make them more vulnerable to predators and environmental stressors. This can ultimately impact their survival and reproductive success.

🐚Shells provide homes or attachment surfaces for algae, sea grass, sponges, coral and a host of other microorganisms.

🐚Animals such as decorator crabs and octopus use shells as camouflage and many fish use shells as hiding places to avoid predators.

🐚Shells help to stabilize beaches and anchor seagrass.

🐚Shells are used by shorebirds to build nests.

🐚When shells break down, they provide nutrients for the organisms living in the sand or for those that build their own shells. (Shells are a major source of calcium.) I’m a firm believer in when we know better, we do better. I once shelled, and then when I learned all of this, I returned all shells that were not sprayed with a clear varnish to the beach & watched the marine hermit crabs go wild changing shells that were so needed!

[glorious-spoon]

have acquired two hermit crabs at my children's behest from our beach trip and i am now naturally neck deep in articles about hermit crab husbandry and the general evils of the pet trade

[fbwzoo]

I'm v excited, now that things are calming tf down for a bit, I'm getting the house and basement organized. This includes my store supplies.

And since I'm out of things I need to make some of the more popular items, I'm doing some supply orders too. 2 done and 1 to go, which might be a few days yet bc they're in Florida. I found a new site to buy safe wood from too, which I'm REALLY excited about.

Gonna have the shop restocked and open again soon!!! And then work on some new ideas to try out!!

[a-d-nox]

wyrd web: what to gift a person based these three numbers

this is just a theory of mine because these bubbles of the matrix should represent earthly desires. this is not to say that you can't enjoy things not listed in your category / under your energetic number. this is simply what i believe people with these numbers would enjoy receiving as a gift.

2 - the high priestess

things that support their spiritual practices, things that support feminine health (hum women's probiotics bundle, honey pot oral vaginal care probiotic, etc), bake goods / baking gear, barbecue sauce sampler / grilling gear (for the dads pt 2), bar in a jar (for those of drinking age) or really any beverage tester kit, bath/spa kit, beach vacation, boat, cruise, careof for brain support, truly nice melons boob butter, candles (it doesn't have to be yankee candle either - bent candles, spiced votive candle, etc) or candle making kit, imported cheeses, clothing staples (blue jeans, black turtleneck, etc), juice cleanse or other things that support digestive health, cooking classes or meal kits (hellofresh, homechef, etc), a tarot/astrology/mediumship reading, or outdoor cameras or other home security tools

3 - the empress

pillows, stuffed animals, rose quartz, personal celebrity cameo, clothing, tickets for an art museum tour, ballet tickets or classes, art supplies, makeup pallets and/or brushes, flowers, jewelry, candy/sweets, money, bells / wind chimes, clothing, designer pieces, cosmetics, dolls, a trip to a fancy restaurant, fruit basket / dried fruits, gardening supplies, jewelry, concert/orchestra tickets, poetry book, tickets to a play, a purse, lingerie (if y'all are close like that), trip to a vineyard (for those of drinking age), couples' dancing classes, or a wallet

4 - the emperor

skincare, rock climbing voucher or some other physical activity they enjoy, an adrenaline rush activity (skydiving, bungee jumping, etc), careof for brain support, crafted wooden objects (cutting boards, tables, etc), coffee trials/samplers, sunglasses, blue light glasses, hair care products/supplies, scalp treatments/care, oral health care (thera breath, whitening products, etc), meditation app subscriptions / in person sessions for meditation, or a planner

5 - the hierophant

moss agate (don't question how random that sounds this is some intuitive stuff), artwork, an architectural tour, beauty products/supplies, historically significant objects, pastries or sweets/candies, earrings, sour dough starter kit, jewelry in general, piano/organ lessons, singing lessons, a wallet, or any classes where they can learn something fun and new to them

6 - the lovers

car stuff (seat covers, cup holder coasters, etc), bicycle or bicycle accessories/gear, books (the more educational the better), briefcase / work tote, bus tickets for a day trip, gym membership or soulcycle classes, crystals, a standing desk / cute office supplies (for the work girlies both those who work in office and from home), hand & foot message, manicure voucher, newspaper subscription (i am a fan of new york times, washington post, and the new yorker), language classes or rosetta stone subscription, magazines subscription, merchandise from their favorite singer / group / tv show / movie, train trip, or we're not really strangers card packs

7 - the chariot

gardening supplies, hermit crab, baked goods, bath products / beauty products, boat, cruise, car stuff (seat covers, cup holder coasters, etc), truly nice melons boob butter, juice cleanse, gut health thrive market kit, glassware / blown glass, stuff they need / need for their home (security system, chest freezer, etc), hotel or bed & breakfast stay, kitchenware, lake trip, pearls, real estate / land, restaurant voucher / gift card, silver jewelry, shopping gift cards, a trip, or intention journal

8 - strength

amusement park tickets, supplies for their passion projects, ballroom dancing classes, tea sampler, games (video games or board games), movie theater gift card, personal celebrity cameo, flower garden supplies/seeds, stuff for their pet, or a belt

9 - the hermit

pet related gifts (if they have a pet that is), bookshelves (they probably need one), juice cleanse, gut health thrive market kit, a cat, clothing, oral health products (thera breath, whitening products, etc), stationary, emergency preparedness (ready to eat meals, fire blanket, etc), cook books, dining ware (new plates/bowls, cups / glassware, silverware, etc), food subscriptions (home chef, hello fresh, pickle of the month club, bokksu japanese snack box, etc), careof subscription, gloves, herb garden kit, a one way ticket to anywhere, or a hiking trip

10 - wheel of fortune

incense, cleansing herbs, bow and arrow, sapling, land, dried berries, budget book, gym/exercise membership, religious/spiritual/philosophical books, poker set, cloth (if they like sowing), wool (if they like weaving, crocheting, and/or knitting), wool clothing, a coat, trip to a country or place they have never been, oral health products (thera breath, whitening products, etc), etiquette classes/books (this is great for the traveler because they are often interested in learning customs before going on their trip), figs, fruit basket (like edible arrangements), honey sampler / royal jelly, horseback riding lessons, lottery tickets, merchandise from their favorite singer / group/ tv show / movie, shoes, really any game, any subscription they have not tried, things that support their spiritual practices, or book on positive mindset

11 - justice

personal celebrity cameo, tickets to a ballet or to an art gallery, air purifier, portable heating pad, spa voucher, cosmetics, lingerie (if y'all are close), closet organizational items (space saving hangers, linen bins, accessory hanger, etc), pastries and sweets, diamonds (perhaps propose to your lover), a dress, tickets to a fashion show or exhibit, flowers, a luxury chair, jewelry, concert tickets, poetry books, any quartz pieces, chocolates dipped strawberries, hair extensions, logic puzzles, a voucher for an escape room, or a kitchen/baking scale

12 - the hanged man

bar in a jar (if they are of drinking age), a book on angel numbers, a book on natural medical remedies, ballet classes or tickets to see a ballet, bath bombs and other bath goodies (salt, bath table, candles, sugar scrub, bath teas, etc), beach vacation, tea or coffee sampler, butterfly farm kit with caterpillars, disposable camera or a camera they would like (polaroid, filming, etc), scientific kits (geode kit, grow your own crystals, etc), cigars (for the dads in your life), unsolved mysteries or crime kit, dance classes, smutty/romance/fantasy books, fairy garden, a tarot/astrology/mediumship reading, budget book, makeup palettes or other cosmetic they enjoy, concert tickets, paint, poetry books, clue the board game, a pass to an indoor pool, a book on poppet making, meditation membership or a voucher for in-person sessions, or something to support their curiosity for new spiritual insight

13 - death

hermit crab, a jumping spider, a reptile, homeopathic books for natural cures and remedies, operation the game, butcherbox subscription, a book on how to cook and trim meats, beginners chemistry kit, a colon cleanse, sea monkeys, unsolved mysteries or crime kit, philosophy of death books, books on magic, magic the gathering the card game, period products (portable heating pad, the diva cup, etc), poisonous plants (belladonna, foxglove, lily of the valley, etc), a frog pond, a scorpion, a snake, a burr/boo basket (these people love seasonal stuff), or marie kondo's life changing magic of tidying up

14 - temperance

a hunting trip, bow and arrows, books on religion or philosophy, book of devotions, book on dream meanings (hello, freud haha), a certification course or college class, horseback riding lessons (for the newbie or a younger sibling or your child/niece/nephew), horse drawn carriage ride (for the couples *smirk*), logic puzzles, things that support their goals, or a book of angel number meanings

15 - the devil

a fan or air conditioning unit, if you have the land for it a cow/horse/goat, kinetic tape, arnicare bruise cream (this is a joke... unless...), coal or a diamond (this is also a joke... unless...), a clock or a watch, cuticle trimmer (and other nail care things), room darkening curtains, a happy lamp, lotion/cream, hat/scarf/gloves, hair products (extensions, shampoo subscription, etc), leather fashion-ware, gardening supplies, ice maker, or a juice cleanse

16 - the tower

tiger balm or other pain relieving ointment, acrobatic/gymnastic classes, homeopathic books for natural cures and remedies, first-aid kit, baking kits, barbecue sauce sampler, barbecue sauce sampler / grilling gear (for the dads), gift card for haircut, dollar shave club (for the dads pt 2), metal works (spoon handle rings, metal roses, etc), boxing lessons, boxing match tickets or monster truck tickets, butcherbox subscription, a book on how to cook and trim meats, crafted wooden objects (cutting boards, tables, etc), cactus plant, beginners chemistry kit, cookbook, pocket knife or leatherman/multitool, tool kit, jenga, emergency kit, food, first aid kit, merchandise for their favorite superhero(es), electric lighter, liqour or bar in a jar (if they are of drinking age), rock music (a vinyl or concert tickets), pepper plant, pipe for smoking (if they like to smoke that is - my grandfather had a collection), lego kit, or lincoln logs

17 - the star

friendship bracelets, a fan / ac unit, model airplane, flight lessons, compression stockings/socks, architectural tour, astrology reading, car stuff (seat covers, cup holder coasters, etc), club memberships (golf, racket ball, sam's, etc), electronic devices (a new phone, amazon fire stick, solar portable charger, etc), movie on blue-ray or dvd, movie gift card, a camera (polaroid or another type they have been eyeing), disposable cameras, camera gear, shadow work journal, aesthetically pleasing bluetooth retro radio, streaming service subscription, a book on health or mental health, or a book on positivity

18 - the moon

abstract art, bar in a jar (if they are of legal age), a fish, a fish tank, tickets to an aquarium, cocktail book (if they are of legal age), a fishing trip (for the dads), book of conspiracy theories, the conspiracy theory map, a crystal ball, unsolved mysteries or crime kit, a jellyfish, a tarot/astrology/mediumship reading, a camera (polaroid or another type they have been eyeing), disposable cameras, camera gear, poetry book, hydroponic starter system, games that involve bluffing (clue, poker, herd mentality, etc), shoes, sleeping eye mask, silk pillow cases, new bed sheets, bonnet, socks, a computer keyboard, typewriter, a book on shadow work, a puppy, or a book on dream meanings

19 - the sun

maine coon, autobiographical books, ballroom dancing lessons, poker set, oral health products (thera breath, whitening products, etc), card games, personal celebrity cameo, circus fruit basket, chocolate gold coins, classes that encourage creativity (create it and break it sessions, pottery classes, etc), jewelry or an engagement ring (if it's been more than 2 years y'all should know what you are doing at this point), flowers, indoor herb garden, tickets to race of some sort (cars, horse, sporting events, etc), sporting equipment, ivy plant, a pottery painting voucher / gift certificate, or something for their passion project / hobby

20 - judgment

a reptile, ant farm, a guide on astral projection, operation the game, the chameleon game, clue game, unsolved case files game, grand theft auto video game, assassins creed video game, dungeons and dragons the game, yahtzee, emergency preparedness kit, magician kit, poisonous plants (belladonna, foxglove, lily of the valley, etc), the divine comedy, puzzles, a rodent of some sort, or lingerie (if y'all are close)

21 - the world

gardening supplies, acoustic guitar, air conditioning or fan, architectural tour, teddy bear, snow globe, boots, calendar or planner, supergoop (sun protectant) products, wooden objects (cutting board, chest, box, etc), carpet, clay (air drying or via kiln), a clock or watch, compression stockings/socks, collectible coins, pain patches or kinetic tape, crystals, budget book, lotions for dry skin, dried fruits, gloves/mittens, hair care products, ice machine or ice making trays, ice cream subscription, pottery classes, rain coat, real estate or land, zen sand garden, sculpture, or snake

22 - the fool

flight lessons, model airplane, a flight to anywhere, car stuff (seat covers, cup holder coasters, etc), an astrology reading, bath products, biking gear, movie theatre gift card, clock or watch, club memberships (golf, racket ball, sam's, etc), mood lighting or strip lights, a train ride, fun magnets, motorcycle accessories/training, microphone (maybe they are filming or recording something), patterns for cross stitch / knitting / crocheting, a camera (polaroid or another type they have been eyeing), disposable cameras, camera gear, stuff for the tv (surround sound, sound bar, streaming subscription, etc), or classes for one of their interests

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[windvexer]

growth in witchcraft as shedding of snake-skin

Sort of obvious, but I had to learn it (like everything else) the hard way. And as spooky season approaches and people may be revitalizing their practices after breaks, I want to say something that might end up saving a couple folks from a lot of frustration and heartbreak:

Just because it worked that way for you in the past, doesn't mean that's how it works for you now.

I mean this in a literal, making-stuff-happen with magic and sorcery way.

You guys have heard the adage that some spirit guides are with you for life, some for short periods, some for just one lesson, etc., right?

Well, the same can be said for sorcerous techniques.

I don't know if I just shed techniques like hermit crabs shed shells or what, but this happens to me a lot. Here's the kind of thing I mean:

You used to do readings with a specific little ritual involving a prayer and incense, but now that technique seems to produce incorrect readings. It feels flat and you can tell you're not connecting.

You used to be able to tie intent into knots and carry the thread around with you all day to conjure specific little occurrences, but now it barely seems to work and manifestation is spotty.

You used to be able to converse with spirits by going into a deep meditation, but now when you try you can hardly connect and it's like their messages are getting blotted out.

And I think sometimes when these things happen, people tend to process this with:

self-blame (I'm not a devoted enough witch, I brought this on myself!),

scapegoating spiritual allies (I used to pray to Hekate before divination but now my divination doesn't work, so Hekate must be mad at me), or

developing personal doubt (I used to think magic worked but now I can't replicate my own results).

When the reality is, if you're a magical snickity-snek and you've shed your skin, you might be slithering about in the soil trying to do the little old things that no longer fit the bigger, better you.

Sometimes this "shedding" is very obvious and we can feel and taste it. "Shedding" may come before, during, or after a period of intense personal transformation. It may come in a numinous moment when you hear a single phrase, or view a single image, that makes you become the Hanged Man and see reality in a whole new way.

But it can also happen without us really noticing it. I might put down my tarot cards for a couple months, pick them up again, and suddenly the ways I used to read don't work for me any more.

It's not because I'm a bad reader, or that the spirits have abandoned me, or that magic isn't real.

It's because what used to work for me doesn't any more, and now I just need to find new techniques.

So if you're trying to pick up what used to work and it just doesn't seem to be helping any more, consider that it's just like outgrowing an old set of clothes. Nothing is wrong with you, or the clothes. It just doesn't fit any more.

Since I think it'd be frustrating as hell to read a post like this without some actionable steps, below the cut are some ideas that might help you develop new techniques if your old ones seem to be failing you.

Start with your beliefs

Examine your own rituals and see if what you're doing still matches what you believe. Let's say you used to pray to Hekate and light incense before divination, but now you do that and your divination doesn't work.

Do you believe Hekate is allowing your divination to be possible? Do you believe she's the best goddess to seek aide from at this time?

What role does the incense play? Is it an offering to Hekate? Is it to feed the ancestors who supply you with interpretations? Is it just to set the correct tone and atmosphere?

Maybe you've grown in your relationship with divinity, and you now believe it's more proper to call on gods with formal prayers - but your divination ritual still uses a simple, improvised prayer.

Maybe your understanding of Hekate has changed and it feels more suitable to call on different powers.

Maybe you feel strangely about constantly "paying" gods to help you, when they say they don't need it - and lighting the incense makes you feel awkward.

Change what you're doing to match what you believe. That's always a solid first step.

Examine your own emotions and reactions

Try performing rituals (from the smallest ritual of stirring intent into coffee, to full-blown compass-casting affairs under the full moon) mindfully.

Be aware of what you're doing as you do it, but also try to examine your own reactionary thoughts and feelings.

Suppose my ritual of stirring my coffee seven times clockwise to manifest a desired emotion doesn't work any more. It used to work great, for years, so I do it quickly. But now it doesn't work, so I do it mindfully.

And while I'm stirring, I watch a few thoughts pop up to the surface: why am I doing this seven times? I'm stirring my coffee for too long and staring into it like an idiot, and it's embarrassing. What if someone thinks I'm weird?

If any individual step of a ritual makes you feel embarrassed, stressed, or avoidant, or if you feel relief from not having to do that any more - that technique is probably not serving you very well.

Seek out methods that make you feel excited, hopeful, empowered, or interested. Or, at the very least, ones that don't make you feel bad.

Be open to shifting your paradigm entirely

Going back to the stirring coffee thing, maybe I think stirring seven times is too much. So I try to stir my coffee three times. But that still feels clunky.

Then I get into left-handed vs right-handed stirring, because someone might have said that doing stuff with your right hand is for blessings.

Then I try out a new little inner mantra while I stir X times with Y hand.

But it's just not working. No matter what I try, it feels like walking barefoot on a gravel road.

So maybe I just need to do something entirely different.

Maybe numerology isn't my thing any more. Maybe now, I just need to embrace my inner divine creator.

Maybe I should think about the ultimately powerful creative energy within rich, black soil - and as I pour my coffee, I can imagine that I'm pouring pure creative energy into my divine cauldron. When I sprinkle in a little sugar, I'm seasoning that creative power to my personal tastes - and no matter how many times I stir it, when I drink that creative power, a new reality blossoms from within me.

No numbers. No memorized chants. No left hand/right hand stuff. Just me, imagining myself as a planet, drinking pure creative energy that will bloom out of my aura as wildflowers bloom in the spring.

Ask for help

I'm not called fool for no reason, and after a couple years of being unable to astral travel - after having successfully done so for years - I finally sat down and asked my spirits for help.

The answer was immediate and simple. So simple, in fact, that I was confident it wouldn't work at all.

Well, of course it worked. I spent years trying to figure out the problem on my own, trying time and time again to use an old technique that I was confident would work. It took a goddess like four seconds to tell me the new way it worked for me.

Even if you're not in communication with spiritual allies, you can still perform divination to help troubleshoot your own magical skills. Try asking a series of questions: what doesn't work for you any more, what you should try, and what you should avoid trying.

When divining, consider the different "levels" of application. A reading that means "don't use excessive force" might refer to high-level life stuff, like, you're working too hard on all your responsibilities right now, learn to relax and the magic will come. But, it might also be referring to something very specific, like, you're trying to raise huge amounts of energy in individual rituals, break them up into smaller spells where much less force is required for each one.

[thefatcat-13]

You have a crab detector blog now?

Wow I guess you really like crabs/silly

i am sooooo normal about crabs (im using this as an excuse to speedrun a few crab facts hold onto your claws)

if you dont like pictures of crabs because they look like spiders dont look below the cut, i will put the information and then pictures of the crabs at the end so if you want you can learn about them without having to see the pics :D

first ima talk about boxer crabs also known as a pom pom crabs or if you’re a NERD lybia tessellata. these guys are named after the sea amenomes they hold in their claws because they box other crabs with them and they also look like pom poms.

next fuckin ghost crabs or Ocypode ceratophthalma i love these guys so much. i need to do a deep dive into these guys but my main favorite fact about these guys is that they have teeth in their stomach (not unusual for crabs) that they grind together to make a growling sound to scare off predators

next we have sally lightfoot crabs or red rock crabs, named after how well they can walk across rocks with their insane agility these bright red crabs are almost impossible to be captured. these agility skills plus the amount of times they molt to make their carapaces super strong make them almost impossible to be killed by predetors. another way they protect themselves against predetors is they they spray water out of their shells to scare them away, tho they keep this water so they can breath on land so they would probably prefer to keep it.

onto my love the fiddler crab. the males have one big claw that they mainly use to impress female fiddler crabs and if that if another fiddler crab catches the females eye then they will fight to the death (okay i dont know if its to the death and i cant double check right now but i know they do fight)

okay im on a bit of a time crunch so this is going to be my last crab but if you want to know anymore then ask me and i will gladly supply information (preferably in the ask box of my @holy-crab-guys account, mainly for organizational reasons.)

ANYWAYS the final crab, you know em, you love em, you may have had em as a pet at one point, HERMIT CRABS!! these guys are not technically true crabs but like they have crab in the name so i will make an exception. these guys arent really a specific kind or crab because the encompass a lot, from the tiny crabs you may have had as a pet or seen in the touchpool of an aquarium to the giant coconut crabs that are rumored to have eaten Amelia Earhart and her bones they are all hermit crabs. while the tiny hermits need to find shells to keep them safe, the giant coconut crabs develop a hard skin as they age and grow out of needing shells. for the tiny ones that need shells tho they look out for pheromones that animals with shells let off when they die so that they can move into their old shells. (i dont know if these pheromones are different for animals with shells ans animals without shells but i will have to look into that.) also they have evolved to have penises that are 60% the length of their body so that they can mate while still in the shell. i didnt know how to work this in but i couldn’t leave it out.

also please fact check me, most of this is from my memory and i know that it isnt the most reliable source. not the scientific names tho i forgot all of those so i had to look em up.

pics below the cut!!!

boxer crab:

ghost crab:

sally lightfoot crab:

fiddler crab:

hermit crab:

BONUS cause it was mentioned, coconut crab:

[clumsiestgiantess]

The Other-world Universe MerMay AU is here! It ended up getting so long I split it into two parts, so enjoy part one today and part two tomorrow!

(Original story here)

On the last day before spring break, all of the ecology classes were going on a trip to the beach only a half-hour out from the school.  Everyone was supposed to bring their own buckets, towels, and shovels if we wanted them, since our college didn't want to waste money on getting every single person supplies.  I'd brought everything I thought I might want: a large bucket, a shovel and sifter, and sunscreen. 

Once I stepped into class — scouting out the seat beside one of my friends — I gasped at the towel in his hands, smacking a palm over my forehead.  "Aww no.  I forgot to bring a towel!  I’m going to be stuck with sand all over me!”  Thankfully, I was friends with one of the best people ever.  Ivan chuckled, “Alexis, that’s like the first thing you bring to a beach.”  I grumbled and he dug through his things, pulling up another towel.  “Don’t worry, I brought a backup one.”

The room was nothing but a chaotic ruckus of voices and antics until the beep of a loudspeaker came on overhead, and everything came to a halt.  It seemed redundant, but once we got to class, we were immediately dismissed to the charter buses.  In no longer than 15 minutes, we were back in different seats.  I made my case for the window seat, and Ivan agreed only if he could have it on the way back.

Ivan and I talked throughout the trip, but during the last stretch we gazed impatiently out the window, scanning the horizon for signs of the ocean.  At last, a kid closer to the front called out that he'd seen water, and soon I could catch glimpses of it as well.  White foamy waves rippled just between the branches of trees lining the road.

Once everyone was unloaded from the buses, we found our teachers and took a quick headcount before they let us loose.  We were supposed to be learning about the intertidal ecosystem and whatnot, but everyone knew it was really just a fun activity before school was out for the next week.

Everyone found their friends and wandered the beach in droves.  There were a lot more shells and interesting trinkets lying around thanks to the small storm that had blown in the day before.  The trip had almost been canceled because of it.  I’d barely reached the sand before spying a neat spiral-looking shell I wanted to scoop up. The legs of a small hermit crab were tucked away inside. I let it down and stared at the little critter in fascination as it slowly inched back out of its home and scuttled away.

After a while, Ivan convinced me to actually look up from the ground.  We busied ourselves by looking for wildlife to document, as that was the whole reason we'd come out here, though most people just set themselves up to tan or started games.  I took multiple pictures of pelicans flying in ‘V’ shapes up above, any the little sand pipers rushing across the beach between breaks in the tide. Ivan waded into the water to sift for creatures beneath the sand. Both of us chased scuttling crabs up and down the sand, flipping them into our buckets with my shovel. All in all a tiring, but successful, trip.

Neither of us even noticed how far up the beach we'd strayed from the group until we were cut off by an outlet of water that pooled into the ocean from a stream.  “Should we go through or turn around?” Ivan asked. “Remember we have to walk the same distance back, too.”  I shrugged, but before I could offer my opinion, I noticed movement from the corner of my eye.

After chasing crabs, I was so used to things dashing around that the movement wouldn’t have surprised me.  However, the thing was much slower, so I paused to examine it.  A piece of fishing net slid down the sand by something moving inside it, dragging bit by bit towards the water.  “Hey Ivan!” I called, “I think something’s stuck over here!”  Using a shovel, I bent down and flipped the netting over.

Shock brought my thoughts to a sudden halt as I gawked at the creature I’d found — only startled into movement once Ivan arrived.  The bottom half of the creature looked like a fish — a bit dried out, but a fish nonetheless.  The top half, though…  The top half was what took me so long to comprehend.  The torso of something very human took up the top portion of the creature.  It froze the moment I got close, and both Ivan and I stared at it for a solid two minutes before he slowly bent down, grabbed a wave-weathered stick, and nudged it over.  Instantly, the creature sprung to life, flailing around in the net.

I flinched back, "Ivan, why did you poke it?"  "I- I thought it might be a toy."  True, the half-fish creature was only about the size of one, but still.  With all the wild thrashing, it had only tangled itself up more and more.  Suddenly, it slowed dramatically, uttering a human-like wheezing noise as it desperately dragged itself towards the ocean.  "Water!" I realized, "It needs water!"  I dumped out everything in my bucket and ran for the ocean.  

Scooping up a bunch of seawater, I came racing back.  Ivan gripped both sides of the net and hoisted it up, which only prompted more thrashing and wheezing from the creature before he lowered it into the bucket I put down.  We waited in anticipation as the creature sank to the bottom, covered by netting.  The surface of the water stilled, and we exchanged worried glances.

Moments later, the human-ish half of the creature burst to the surface, climbing over the edge of the bucket and using its tail to propel itself forward.  "Wait, wait!  Just stay in there!" Ivan yelped, quickly shoving it back in.  "I'm going to try to untangle it," he told me once it had fallen back inside, "Then we'll know for sure."  "Know what?" I asked, still slightly in shock.  "Then we'll know for sure if we've just lost our minds because we're dehydrated, or if we actually.. caught a mermaid."

"Aren't mermaids supposed to be human-sized though?" I asked as he hesitantly stuck his hands into the bucket.  "Yeah, I guess so.  Maybe we found something else."  He fished out the mystery creature, which thrashed in his grip.  Ivan would've dropped it had it not been for all the netting around it to hold on to. He unwound the tangle of cord bit by bit as the creature thrashed less and less.  

Near the end of the bundled material, his face flushed bright red and he practically threw the creature into the bucket, sending up a splash.  "What was that for!?" I asked angrily.  "It.. She..  Sh- She's a bit too human for me," he replied, ducking his face away from the bucket.  "What does that-?  Oh."  I realized halfway through my question that he'd changed the creature from an 'it' to a 'she'.  

Carefully, I reached in the bucket and held up the strange being, now more visible without so much rope around it.  She looked like a tiny human from the waist up, and she wasn't wearing a single thing.  Her hazel skin was a sharp contrast to the shimmering scales that took form below her.  They were much more of a match with her silvery-green eyes, which were wide in terror.  Little gills pulsed on either side of her chest as her breath grew ragged.  

"Oh," I repeated, lighter this time.  Gently, I lowered her into the water for a moment, letting her breathe before I took her back out.  The last pieces of netting were wound more tightly around her, and she struggled when I pulled at her skin to try and get it off.  Ivan glanced back over at me.  "I- Is she alright?"  "I can't get the last netting off; it's too tight.  Do you have your pocketknife with you?"  "I never go anywhere without it."  He slid it open and handed it to me, glancing nervously down at the creature in my hand.  "Just don't cut her by accident," he warned.  I nodded and held her steady.  

However, as the blade neared the being, she let out a shriek and thrashed in my hand, slipping out of my grip and onto the sand.  She dragged herself away from me as I worriedly reached for her.  "Wait!  Please!  Please don't!"  My and Ivan’s mouths simultaneously dropped open in shock.  She'd spoken.  Her accent was thick and foreign, but she was clearly speaking English nonetheless.  

The tiny creature curled itself into a ball, breaths shuddering with tears.  I tried my best to be gentle as I hoisted her up, trying to get her into water, but she still shrieked like I'd attacked her.  The being thrashed more strongly than she had before, causing me to drop her over the bucket instead of lowering her back in.  I cringed as her scream turned to bubbles while she slid beneath the water.

"H- How did she just talk?” Ivan stuttered, “I mean, I get that she looks human, but how does she know English?"  I shook my head, "I have no idea, but I still have to get her untangled."  "Well, now that we know she understands, maybe we could try explaining to her why you have a knife?"  Nodding, I reached in to take her out, but the little creature kept dodging my grasp.  It took me almost a full minute to catch her she was so fast.  

Again, she thrashed as she was lifted out of the water.  "Little.. creature?  I- If you stop wriggling, I'd like to explain what I'm doing.  I'm just trying to help you."  "By what?  Gutting me alive with that blade?" she retorted hotly, though she paused in her attempt to free herself.  "I'm just trying to cut the netting off you."  The creature glanced up at Ivan, "And him?"  I blinked, "What about him?"  "What does he want with me?"  "We both just want to free you," Ivan told her, scooting a bit closer.

Her gaze slid back and forth between the two of us, then she coughed.  I lowered her back in the water again, but she scrambled out of it, hoisting her human half over the edge of the bucket with heaving breaths. "Normally I would tell both of you to go drag yourselves back to whatever nasty hunk of rock you came from, but.." she pulled at the netting around her and flinched as it grew a bit tighter around her torso.  "This.. This really hurts."  

Ivan and I glanced nervously at eachother.  "So, will you let me help you?"  The creature gave a very slight nod and I scooped her up again.  She held still as the knife slid beside her skin.  With a slight twist, I slit the thin rope holding the netting together and it slipped off her onto the beach.  I sucked in a sharp breath of air.  Her chest was wracked with criss-crossed slices where the netting had cut into her skin.  The gills on her right side were crushed so badly that they wouldn't even open all the way.  I gently lowered her down, but she cried out in agony and reflexively clung to my fingers so I would take her back up.  The sting of salt in her fresh wounds must've been unbearable.

"Oh muck that hurts!" she cried, her grip on me tightening as I lifted her back out.  “You don’t have freshwater by any chance, do you?”  Ivan gawked, “Don’t you need saltwater, though?”  The creature vehemently shook her head, “I came from up there,” she gasped, pointing to the stream’s outlet, “When I got caught in this net, I was dragged downstream to the ocean.  I- I just want to get back!”

I glanced down the beach, “There’s a water station by the buses...”  “I’ll be back!” Ivan called, dashing away down the sand while I stayed behind with the creature.  The little being started coughing, but when I reached down to put her back in the water, she curled away from it.  “No!  Human, I told you that hurts!”  “But you’re suffocating.”  She wheezed, lying flat across the palms of my hands.  “I- I can breathe air for a little longer.  My human-ish half can deal with it.”  I nodded, keeping her out of the saltwater.  However, I could feel the sides of her chest heaving against my palm — cuts beginning to bleed.

“So human,” the creature began, trying to take my gaze off of her wounds.  “Now that you’ve freed me, what are you going to do?”  “My name is Alexis,” I offered, “and my friend’s name is Ivan.”  “Alright, fine.  My name’s Eria.  What about my question?  What are you going to do with me?”  I hesitated, “I.. don’t really know.  Should I put you back in the river?  Would you be able to make it back upstream or will you just get tossed into the ocean again?” I asked, gesturing to the water behind me.

Eria was silent for a while.  “I’m.. I already know I’m going to die — from the moment I got caught in that net.  Being human you must think that’s awful, but that’s just how it goes for other creatures.”  I held her a bit higher, scrutinizing her worriedly.  “But there has to be a way to save you!  Surely you know a way to heal yourself!”  The creature only shook her head.  “I’d have to get back to my home, where I store medicines.  I.. don’t even know how far away home is, and I’d bleed to death.. or get eaten.. trying to make it back.”  

Seconds later, Ivan came dashing back up the beach, a few water bottles in hand.  “I’m back!” he panted, “I’ll go pour this out.”  Taking the bucket, he dumped it a little ways past me and began emptying the bottles into the empty container.  Soon, it was filled with new water.  I lowered the creature back to the surface of the bucket and she slid slowly back in, taking a small test-swim around the edge.  “It tastes funny, but otherwise it’s fine.  Th- Thank you.  For all the horror stories about your kind, you don’t seem all that bad.”  “We said we were only here to help,” Ivan told her.  “I know.  Do you think I actually believed you?”  

I explained Eria’s dilemma to Ivan, and he looked her over thoughtfully.  “Maybe we can somehow sneak her on the bus?  And then try to heal her up back home?”  He sighed, “No, she can’t live in a bucket.”  “I have an empty fish tank at home,” I told him, “But how would we get her onto the bus without anyone noticing?”  We argued back and forth over what we could do to sneak her away before she leaped up to sit on the edge of the bucket and cleared her throat.  

“Maybe you should ask the being you captured what she thinks about all this,” the creature suggested.  “For instance, do I really want to be dragged inland to who knows where and stuffed into a little box that I can’t escape from?  I already feel claustrophobic in here...  I knew it!” she exclaimed suddenly, “You do want to capture me!”  Both of us backtracked, swearing left and right that her accusations weren’t our intention.  There was a long pause as we all thought of a way to keep her safe.  Finally, she sighed loudly.  “Alright, fine.  There is a way for me to sneak with you.  I was hoping you would leave me alone once you figured I was a lost cause, but for some reason you seem to care much more than I thought you would.”

Turning in the bucket, she scanned the beach.  “I need an animal that isn’t human.. something small,” the creature said without lifting her gaze from the sand.  Ivan and I glanced confusedly at eachother.  “Why?”  She turned back to us with a tired look, as if we were stupid for not knowing.  “I’m a satyrian.  We can drink the blood of other creatures and obtain their likeness, but only from the waist down.”  “So you’re a shapeshifting mermaid?”  The satyrian gave him a bewildered look.  “I have no idea what you just called me, but if it was anything awful, I will find out.”  

“Why can’t you drink human blood?” Ivan asked.  “Not that I’m offering it; I’m just curious.”  She huffed and turned her attention back to the beach.  “If I take a human form, don’t you think someone will notice there’s a whole extra person on board?”  Oh.  “It’s not that I can’t; it’s just not-  Aha!  There!”  Leaning almost entirely out of the bucket, Eria pointed out a tiny crab scuttling beneath a piece of driftwood.  “Go get that one!”

Ivan ran over and scooped it up.  It was so small he wasn’t worried about being hurt.  The thing’s pincers were only a centimeter or so long.  He held it out to Eria and she snatched it from him, dragging it down into the water.  The bucket became murky with clouds of red blood while Ivan and I looked on nervously.  A while later, the crab scurried out, completely unharmed.  We kept waiting for Eria to resurface, but she didn’t.  

My gaze began to wander in worried thought, and that’s when I noticed the tiny crab.  Its forelimbs waved wildly in the air the moment I noticed it.  Suddenly, I put two and two together.  “Eria?” I asked, hesitantly offering the minuscule creature my hand.  It had to be her.  It scuttled up immediately instead of rushing away.  Ivan gasped as I held up the little being in my palm — her hands cupped around her mouth to yell to us.  However, it was nearly impossible to understand what she was saying.  “I- I think that one was a bit too small,” Ivan said, watching Eria in awe.  “Get your bucket,” I told him, “Find one that we caught that’ll be small enough to hide, but big enough that we can actually hear her.”

While he went off to do that, I gently lifted Eria closer to my face, squinting to try to see her better.  She was hunkered down in the center of my palm, arms protectively tucked over her head.  “It’s alright,” I told her quietly, “Ivan’s working to get you a bigger form right now.”  “How do we keep it from hurting her?” Ivan asked once he found a worthy crab.  “Put it on the ground and distract it with a stick or something,” I offered.  

He did as I said and I lowered Eria to the ground.  She hopped off and stood there hesitantly for a moment before jumping on top of it and clambering to a break in its armored exoskeleton.  The moment she got to it, she flung herself off and away and I scooped it back up with a shovel before it could turn on her.  Slowly, Eria’s form changed — skin rippling larger and larger — hardening in snapping sounds until she was the length of my palm.  “Oh thank goodness!  You were right in saying that form was too small.  I think I got a bit too excited when I saw it.”

“So you‘ll come with us then?” I asked.  “As long as I get a bigger creature to drink from when we get there,” she panted.  Her scratches were wider now, blood slowly oozing from them.  “What happened to you?” Ivan asked, gesturing to them.  He tried to be subtle in doing so, not particularly wanting to scrutinize her bare torso for very long.  Eria delicately brushed a hand over her wounds.  “You aren’t supposed to morph when you’re hurt.  Especially not twice.  I had to, though.  There was no way I’d survive in my completely aquatic form, and I was absolutely not going to sit through the torture of being in that tiny one.”

I dumped out the bucket of water as Ivan took up the rest of our things, packing the empty bottles into the now empty bucket.  Once we were set to head back, we turned and watched Eria, scuttling over the ground towards us.  “This is so confusing!” she huffed, “My legs work better walking sideways than they do walking forwards!”  “Would you like to ride with me?” I offered, kneeling down so I was a bit closer to her height.  Eria scrutinized me for a moment, then nodded curtly.

She clambered onto my hand, little pointed legs digging into my skin.  I held her in the open for a bit while we walked down the beach, but as we neared the first group of people, I gently slid her into my pocket to hide.  Soon, everyone clambered back into their seats on the bus.  Ivan let me have the one by the window on the way back again; that way I could keep further away from the other people near the aisle.  I absentmindedly stared at nothing the whole trip, thinking through how to deal with our new companion.  Something wet brushed my skin when I shifted, startling from my thoughts.  Glancing down to my pocket, I gasped.  The fabric was soaked with dark red.  Cautiously I lifted up the opening.  Eria lay there, breathing hard.  

“Oh my god!  Are-  Do you think you can last until we get off the bus?”  I felt her shudder, “I.. don’t know.  How much longer?”  Glancing out the window, I realized that we weren’t very far away.  “About ten more minutes.”  Eria nodded, “I can make it.”  The second I got off the bus, I walked as quickly as I dared to class, grabbed my bag, and excused myself to the bathroom, towel in hand.  I didn’t even have time to explain what was going on to Ivan, but I knew he’d cover for me.

Locking a bathroom stall, I reached into my bloodstained pocket and carefully placed Eria on top of a covered toilet.  Then I got to work.  I hacked into my towel with a pair of scissors until I had small strips of cloth.  Kneeling down, I cautiously reached for Eria.  She gasped, clutching the now fully-bleeding gashes across her stomach.

“P- Please, if you’re going to save me with some human healing magic, do it soon,” she begged.  Gently, I bent down and brought her close, wrapping the clean material tightly around her.  “Tell me if it’s too tight, alright?  It has to be a bit snug to stop you from bleeding., but make sure you can still breathe properly..”  Eria nodded, letting me do my work.  Hesitantly, she tested it out after I finished.  “Well…  I’m not dead yet.”  “Once I get you home, I can find some proper bandages and medication that should stop you from bleeding.  Will you be alright until then?”

She checked herself over another time, then nodded slowly.  “It’ll be soon, right?”  “I’ll head straight there.”  Eria awkwardly stumbled over to me, grumbling about having too many limbs.  I gently slid her into my other pocket — the one that wasn’t soaked through with blood — and headed for my car.  I kept my bag by my side to cover the dark red mess, but still kept a quicker pace to avoid anyone spotting it.  

On the way home, Eria hesitantly peered over the edge of my pocket.  “Where are we?” she asked me confusedly, “Is this another human-moving machine?”  My brows furrowed, “You mean a car?”  “I.. don’t know.”  I glanced down at her, but she shied away from my gaze.  “You.. don’t get around much, do you?”  She shrugged — her shoulders bumping my side.  “No.  I never really wanted to leave my home, and I certainly didn’t want to live around humans.  Humans are confusing.”  “Am I confusing?”  Eria nodded, “Very much so, yes.”

At home at last, I dropped everything at the door and took Eria straight to the bathroom sink, where I pulled out a bin of medical supplies.  “Alright, my roommate doesn’t take ecology, so she won’t be here for a few hours.  That should be plenty of time to patch you up.”  “More humans?” Eria grumbled, “How am I supposed to take a bigger form with another human around?”  

Gently, I undid the being’s makeshift bandages.  She whimpered slightly, inhaling a sharp breath.  Her cuts had stopped bleeding so harshly, but they were still slowly seeping blood.  “Can you.. heal it?” Eria asked me quietly.  I nodded, taking an older washcloth and wetting it before reaching carefully for her.  Eria’s eyes widened in fright, but she didn’t pull away.  My free hand gently cupped her back as I wiped away the blood across her stomach and chest.  As serious as the situation was, I still couldn’t help but blush as I cleaned her off.  Her chest was.. so exposed.

Afterwards, I gave her some medication to rub on her cuts — deciding it would be best for her to do things herself.  She was so small I didn’t want to risk hurting her.  As I brought her body closer so I could wrap it in bandages, I finally got a good look at her face.  A scar dashed across one of her eyelids, and I found myself wondering how she’d gotten it.  Eria refused to hold my gaze for a bit, but slowly turned to stare at me in awe.  Her tiny wide eyes flickered between the features of my face — taking everything in.  “You-  You’re so different than I thought you’d be,” she mused quietly.  Her tiny hand alighted on my finger as I wrapped a bandage around her torso.  I froze when we touched; her hand was barely larger than my nail.

“Thank you.  Genuinely.  I.. I wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for your kindness.”  Taking my hand off her back, I slid her tiny palms between my fingers.  “You’re welcome.”  Eria offered me a small smile, revealing two long fang-like incisors.  I blinked surprisedly at them, and Eria covered her mouth with her free hand.  “Oh!  I- I’m sorry I thought that’s how humans show others they’re happy,” she told me, ducking her head.  “It is!” I assured her, releasing her hands and finishing her bandages.  “I just hadn’t noticed your fangs.  It makes for an.. umm.. impressive smile.”  

With Eria all patched up, I took another good look at her.  “So, now that you have this form,” I began, gesturing to her multiple hard-shelled legs, “Do you need to be in water?” Her gills were gone, but crabs are still sea creatures, so I had to be sure. Eria looked down at herself as a few of her pointed legs lifted into the air for her to examine.  “I.. have no idea.  I’ve been completely aquatic almost my whole life.  I feel fine, but it’s a bit confusing with this many limbs.”  “And slightly uncanny,” I added.  “You think?” she asked — clawed legs making little tap-taping noises on the countertop as she looked herself over.  “I’ll just deal with it.  It shouldn’t be very long until I heal up.”

Cupping her in my hands, I brought her over to my room and let her set herself up on my desk just as I heard the door open.  “Alexis!” my roommate, Paisley, called.  “Are you ready to go?”  I gasped, then quickly yelled back to her that I was ready.  I was anything but.  “I'm so sorry,” I told Eria quietly as I quickly slipped on a different pair of pants that weren’t bloodstained, “I forgot about the party she’s dragging me to.  Do you think you’ll be alright here by yourself?”  Eria nodded, “I’ll just be building a home here; I’ll be fine.”  I thanked her for understanding, and left.

[celerydays]

if you get this, answer with three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs! anon or not, doesn't matter, let's get to know the person behind the blog!❤️

AHHH I'm super late checking my inbox but thank you for sending this along! 🥰 Let's see uhhh...

I have a BA degree in medical/scientific illustration and for my senior thesis I had researched, illustrated, and designed a website focused on providing accurate information on proper pet care for hermit crabs 🐚

My mind went to this ^ for my first fact because (in following the same line of "my unending love of small pets that also unfortunately have too much misinformation spread around about their care") I'm in the process of getting ready to get a hamster! Currently I'm working on gathering supplies and putting together a large enclosure to adopt my very first hamster from a local ethical breeder 🐹 New lil baby should be joining our family hopefully sometime in May or June 🥰

Before then though, my partner and I are also currently in the process of planning out our first trip to Japan which will be in about a month and a half from now! I've never traveled internationally except to visit family in Taiwan and China so I'm both very excited and very nervous lol 😬🤗

[transboysokka]

do you like crabs

When I was 10 there was a kiosk at the mall selling hermit crabs and their shells were painted with fun designs and I just thought they were SO cute and had always wanted pets. I spent months and months saving up enough allowance and birthday money to buy the like $20 cage and starter supplies with two crabs.

Taking them home I was SOOOOOO proud and excited to be a new pet parent and to have something for myself and to have two cute new babies! One of them had Nemo on the shell and one had a smiley face.

I took them out of their cage when I put them in my room and held them, my cute little babies and HAPPY (the smiley one) PINCHED ME SO HARD AND WOULDNT LET GO OMG WTF IS HIS PROBLEM

So from then on I was afraid to interact with them but I still felt responsible for them and liked feeding them and cleaning their cage and picking out new shells for them to grow into etc etc. like they had soooo many choices

Early on I woke up and found Nemo dead. That was super sad and a bit traumatizing to me tbh but I threw him away and got another one

The next one died too and then another, but Happy was always fine. I started to figure out right away that he was killing them to take their shells or something, cuz the psycho was getting WAY too big for his and wouldn’t move

Also I was getting super scared of him. I was starting to leave the dead ones in the cage for longer and longer because I didn’t want to put my hand near him in case he Got Me

Wild that I kept the thing right by the head of my bed

One night I heard a lot of shuffling going on and turned on the light to see Happy OUT OF HIS SHELL (DONT google what hermit crabs look like out of their shell, it traumatized me forever tbh) STABBING AND GOUGING AND KILLING THE OTHER CRAB

I was. TERRIFIED. Didn’t deal with that body for days and days until my mom caught on when the smell started to bother her. I told her everything and how this wasn’t even fun anymore and I was just really scared and wanted this thing gone

We went back to the mall and returned Happy. I remember they asked if I wanted to replace him and I said no, I was done with this whole thing. Anyway they put him right back in the big enclosure with the hundreds of other ones

Next time I went back to the mall the whole kiosk was gone

So I guess you could say my feelings about crabs are a bit complicated

[birgittesilverbae]

your shotgunmeatshield honeymoon warms my heart, especially the beach scenes :) thinking of them spending the day in the waves or just chilling on the beach under a big beach umbrella. buying a couple of sandwiches and a sixpack of cold beer and burying them in the sand...sunnies and cheap disposable film cameras...holding hands while walking along the low tide and spotting the hermit crabs that pop up...utter bliss and contentment. much love for this au and much love for your writing :)

it's what they deserve 😌 shannon trying to pull a shark attack prank on mary and mary just rolling her eyes so fondly and shoving a hand into her face to dunk her back under the water. mary reaching a hand out for another beer and finding shannon already holding it out for her, shannon's chin hooked over mary's shoulder as she wraps her up in a hug from behind as they watch the sunset, rolling out of their sleeping bags in the grey of pre-dawn and basking in the early morning rays as the sun breaks over the horizon.

wading in tide pools and digging their toes in the sand and picking up the ugliest "my parents went to [x] and all they got me was this stupid t-shirt" tourist tat for bea and mary badgering shannon about sunscreen because she forgets unless mary hucks it at her after she applies her own and making fast friends with the elderly owners of some small family winery in the south of france and necking directly from the bottle after they've made camp for the evening

lying under the open sky stargazing and mary bullshitting hard about knowing constellation names and shannon letting her think she's getting away with it until she softly corrects her. shannon always with her travel kit of art supplies near to hand, tongue peeking out between her teeth as she tries to match the deep blues of the ocean and the greens of vineyards and mary listening, rapt, as she breaks down her process, remembering bea coming home after afternoons in the hills above antequera raving about phthalos and lapis lazuli and kaolinite

[sapphyreopal5]

As if the synchronocities are in short supply. Tumblr ate my post I made on this app (the WORST app I might add). A friend of mine here in Thursday night close to 8pm EST, 7/11/2024 stuff about tarot patron cards. I strangely enough never heard of this but she told me the two cards she relates to most are The Hermit and The Moon. I decided to see what my Tarot birth card is and saw mine is The Chariot. The next morning 7/12/2024, I saw that one of my son's 2 hermit crabs he got a couple years ago while at the beach I'm currently at died (thought it was maybe molting at first because he was hanging outside of his shell). The hermit crab is named Gerald. We will be burying him later on today.

2 days before my son brought them home, I did a tarot reading for a friend named Terry, 2 of the cards being The Hermit and The Chariot.

My son knows nothing about Jared padalecki outside of him playing Sam Winchester on Supernatural. Even I didn't know when my son brought the hermit crabs home Jared's dad is named Gerald. Is it also a noteworthy mention Jared's birthday is next week on the 19th and that my son's grandmother's 65th birthday is today, 7/13/2024 AND the sun is currently going through the zodiac sign Cancer, which symbol depicted as a crab?

Strangely enough, yesterday "new" photos with Jared's parents were posted about on Twitter. Based on what Jared said at a recent con are actually a couple months old. New to us, not so new to the Pads. It also seems Jared is in Belgium currently, so the photo is indeed old. Hmmm..

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Vermeulen (@david_discovers_the_world)

[happycrabitat]

Scuttles getting a drink

[ggwweenn1]

I want to do a hyper specific poll too!!!!

[fbwzoo]

Hey- I was wondering if there's any way I can help/contribute to the effort to end/change wild caught trade? I would love to be a part of something so cool

I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED. Thank you for activating info dump mode, I hope you enjoy your experience!

There are SO many ways to help work towards changing/ending hermit crab wild capture. Some may not seem as connected as others, but they all help with the overall goal of educating people about hermit crabs, valuing them, and respecting nature.

The more we can teach people that they shouldn't be cheap "disposable" pets, that they can live for decades instead of months, and how the wild caught trade is decimating populations, the less demand there will be for it. Play to your strengths and do what you can. Even small things make a difference!

(This post will have a ton of links, so please share since it'll probably get blocked from tags!)

Casual Advocating

- share a cool fact with class or with your friends! "Hermit crabs can live over 40 years" "Hermit crabs can lose legs due to stress, but can grow them back when molting" "Hermit crabs live in the ocean as zoea (babies) for up to a month before they become land hermit crabs" ...I could go on & on. 😂

- Remind friends & family not to bring hermit crabs home from beach shops, & not to take shells off the beach. Sometimes they have marine hermits in them, even if they look empty. These crabs will die without an established saltwater aquarium or being returned to the beach.

- Know someone interested in getting hermit crabs? Try to gently steer them away from pet stores & tell them about Land Hermit Crab Owners Society's adoption program! Or if they already have crabs, ask if they've heard of LHCOS & Crab Street Journal (original site), or send them to the websites or Facebook group for science-backed care info.

- If you know a teacher who wants to get a classroom pet, or maybe already has some crabs as classroom pets, tell them about the Claws in the Classroom program! They can get lots of help with a proper set up & free supplies for their crabs, as well as activity sheets & lesson plans. Having crabs in a classroom can be a big commitment, but LHCOS is happy to help, as it's a wonderful way to show kids proper care & teach them how cool hermit crabs are. Many beach stores and pet shops target kids with the bright painted (and toxic) shells, so we gotta beat them to their audience!

- Simply show people pictures of the captive bred babies! They're so freaking adorable, it's hard not to fall in love with them. 🥰

(Pictures all from Mary Akers' site)

More Direct Advocating

Some of these things may require being more involved in the crabby community or going out of your way with time & materials. If you want to advocate in person with events & pet stores, make sure you stay polite, friendly, and helpful! LHCOS aims to educate people without making them defensive or alienating others from our mission.

- Talk to pet stores in your area. See if they're willing to check out LHCOS, or make some changes to improve the store set up. Chain stores may be more limited with this, but it's worth a try. Independent pet stores may be willing to listen & learn about what supplies to promote over others, or even to avoid carrying hermit crabs at all. CSJ has printable info sheets you can offer, including a pet store appeal letter.

- Spread care information. On Craigslist in the pet section, on Facebook, on other social media. Make a post in your neighborhood FB group about not buying crabs at the beginning of the summer. I know someone who recently started putting business cards with LHCOS info next to the hermit crab supplies in chain pet stores. Hand out info at local pet events in your town!

- Contact people in charge. Hermit crabs are often still used as prizes at carnivals and fairs, and crab races are sometimes included at these events. If you hear about an event doing this, contact those in charge and try to educate them. Ask them to cancel or discontinue the use of hermit crabs in these things. It's especially prevalent around beach towns. We have a group member who has tried for years to get a Miss Crustacean Pageant in her area to stop exploiting hermit crabs, but no luck yet. But she still goes every year to hand out care information to whoever will take it.

- Attend Crab Con! It's absolutely amazing. You can get lots of great deals on food, supplies, & hermit crab merch, and spend the whole weekend learning & talking about hermit crabs! What's not to love? It's going to be in person in Virginia in 2023, but there will be an online part as well, for everyone who can't make the trip!

- Rescue crabs in your area! Check craigslist, kijiji, and similar sites. Facebook banned animal sales, but I still found my new crab on marketplace. Just be prepared to deal with crabs in poor condition - look up the Post Purchase Death Reduction method and learn what to do for limb loss, surface molts & naked crabs.

- Adopt crabs from the LHCOS adoption program, or adopt captive bred babies. This can be a great way to get crabs that are healthier than rescues. If you're able to adopt from those who do a lot of rescue work, you also free up space for them to help more crabs in need. Adopting captive bred babies obviously helps support the breeding program. Plus, you get hermit crabs that have never been abused or neglected! They've been loved & cared for since day 1. Just make sure you join the FB group for baby crab owners! They have some specific needs that are a bit different from bigger crabs.

- Volunteer with LHCOS. This is one where you'll need to be in the community for some time first, and you'll need to be reliable. But if you're really interested in hermit crabs and want to get involved, you can look into becoming a local representative for the organization, or becoming one of the educational people who go to reptile shows with a LHCOS booth. There may be other areas that need help, but Stacy would be the one to contact about that once you've been around a bit.

- Donate! Saved this for last bc there's a bunch of different places and ways you can donate. All of these are important parts of the overall mission!

Mary Akers, founder of Hermit House Captive Breeding

Darcy Madsen, certified breeder with Hermit House & runs Crab Central Station YouTube (second link is their website)

Land Hermit Crab Owners Society

Claws in the Classroom, you can donate money through the LHCOS PayPal above, or you can contact Stacy/LHCOS about donating supplies.

Shell donations - The Classroom program can often use shell donations to give teachers. There are also 3 different people who currently work to provide wild hermit crabs with safe shells in Taiwan, Japan, and Florida, USA! Scroll down that link for their addresses.

Painted shells - you can donate these for use with educational booths with the address listed here.

LHCOS & Mary also have stores where they sell hermit crab supplies & merch, if you want to grab some cool stuff while supporting them! The other stores on that list all sell safe hermit crab supplies, and many of us do rescue, advocacy, & donate to CITC as well.

I know this was a LONG answer, but there's just so many ways to make a difference for hermit crabs! It takes an army to stand up for these amazing little guys. I hope this helps and you can join me in being known as a weird hermit crab person!!

[felagund-fiollaigean]

moving my sewing supplies to a slightly bigger shoebox like a hermit crab climbing into a new shell

[echoes-of-kemet]

Do yu know what other animals were in ancient egypt? I want my oc to have a unique animal and you seem to know a fair amount

I am a well of ridiculous, hyperspecific, only interesting to some trivia lmao.

I would encourage you not to limit yourself to an entirely unique beast- many deities share sacred animals and are still strong individuals. My mind immediately goes to the huge number of feline deities- lions and lionesses in particular- for an example. Additionally, it's nigh impossible for me (with no academic anthropology/egyptology/historic zoology knowledge) to say for certain that particular animals were present in Kemet when they have no documented deities, mummies, or written mentions. I've had to guess for some, deduce by their present day habitats and more or less "timeline" of their species.

It's also important to keep in mind Kemet had contact with other civilizations in other habitats, meaning they were aware of animals not necessarily native to the area. A perfect example is the Hamadryas baboon- they were Nubian animals, but were sacred to both Thoth and Babi, depicted in art, and many mummies of the species have been recovered. A more surprising example is the Syrian brown bear, which was a rare exotic spectacle for the royal elite. There's also the trouble of many species now being extant from the area, meaning they were there but the local population is now extinct- the African sacred ibis is the example my mind comes to first, the waterfowl no longer present along the Nile.

Coincidentally, I've been compiling a list of animals for my own reference to supply a beast or two for the deities that don't have one in tradition. 

Birds

Abdim's Stork

African Darter

African Dwarf Kingfisher

African Grass Owl

African Open-billed Stork

African Pied Wagtail

African Sacred Ibis

Asian Green Bee-Eater

Barbary Falcon

Barbary Partridge

Barn Owl

Barn Swallow

Bearded Vulture

Bennu Heron (likely not an actual animal, the Bennu bird inspired by the Goliath Heron- but felt like including it anyhow)

Black Kite

Black Stork

Black-throated Loon

Black-winged Kite

Brown-necked Raven

Carrion Crow

Cattle Egret

Chukar Partridge

Common Buzzard

Common Cormorant

Common Crane

Common Greenshank

Common House Martin

Common Kestrel

Common Kingfisher

Common Pochard

Common Quail

Common Raven

Common Redshank

Common Redstart

Common Sandpiper

Common Spoonbill

Common Teal

Crab Plover

Crested Plover

Dalmatian Pelican

Demoiselle Crane

Eagle (I'm sure there were some, but I can't find any definitive evidence of species in the ancient Kemetic culture- I would take a guess that the Golden Eage was an infrequent visitor)

Egyptian Plover

Egyptian Vulture

European Roller (considered a pest)

European Turtle-dove

Eurasian Coot

Eurasian Crag Martin

Eurasian Teal

Eurasian Wigeon

Fan-tailed Raven

Ferruginous Duck

Gadwall

Garganey

Glossy Ibis

Golden Oriole

Goliath Heron

Great Bittern

Great Bustard

Great Cormorant

Great Egret

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Great White Pelican

Greater Flamingo (possibly not native)

Green Sandpiper

Grey Heron

Griffon Vulture

Helmeted Guineafowl (not native)

Hermit Ibis

Hobby Falcon

Honey Buzzard

Hooded Crow

Hoopoe

Houbara Bustard

House Crow

House Sparrow (pest, hieroglyph had negative connotation)

Kittliz's Plover

Lanner Falcon

Lappet-faced Vulture

Laughing Dove

Lesser Kestrel

Lesser Pied Kingfisher

Little Bittern

Little Bustard

Little Egret

Little Owl

Long-eared Owl

Long-legged Buzzard

Mallard

Marabou Stork

Marsh Sandpiper

Masked Shrike

Merlin

Mourning Wheatear

Northern Lapwing

Northern Pintail

Northern Shoveler

Ostrich

Pale Crag Martin

Peregrine Falcon

Pied Avocet

Pink-backed Pelican

Purple Gallinule

Purple Heron

Red Kite

Red-backed Shrike

Red-footed Falcon

Red-rumped Wheatear

Reed Cormorant

Ring-necked Dove

Rock Dove

Rook

Ruddy Shelduck

Saddle-bill Stork

Saker Falcon

Sandhill Crane

Sand Martin

Sand Partridge

Short-eared Owl

Spotted Redshank

Sooty Falcon

Squacco Heron

Striated Heron

Swan (not native)

Tawny Owl

Tufted Duck

Western Reef Heron

White-backed Night Heron

White-crowned Wheatear

White Stork

White Wagtail

Wood Sandpiper

Yellow-billed Stork

Mammals

Aardvark (possibly not native)

Aardwolf

Addax Antelope

African Clawless Otter

African Giant Shrew

African Green Monkey (not native)

African Grass Rat

African Leopard

African Striped Weasel

Arabian Oryx

Barbary Deer (not native)

Barbary Lion (now extinct)

Barbary Macaque (not native)

Black Rat

Common Patas Monkey (not native)

Black Rhinoceros

Blanford's Fox

Black Wildebeest

Bubal Hartebeest (now extinct)

Cairo Spiny Mouse

Cape Hare

Caracal

Cheetah

Common Beisa Oryx

Common Genet

Desert Hedgehog

Desert Long-eared Bat

Dorcas Gazelle

Desert Black Cobra

Egyptian Fruit Bat

Egyptian Jackal/African Wolf (originally misidentified, now the African Wolf)

Egyptian Mongoose

Egyptian Pipistrelle

Egyptian Red Fox

Egyptian Slit-faced Bat

Egyptian Tomb Bat

Egyptian Weasel

Egyptian Wild Ass 

Fennec Fox

Flower's Shrew

Four-toed Jerboa

Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bat

Gerenuk

Giraffe

Golden Spiny Mouse

Greater Egyptian Jerboa

Greater Mouse-tailed Bat

Greater Red Musk Shrew

Hamadryas Baboon (not native)

Hippopotamus

Honey Badger

House Mouse

Lesser Egyptian Jerboa

Lesser Mouse-tailed Bat

Long-eared Hedgehog

Long-nosed Shrew

North African/Bush Elephant (vilified and driven out by prehistoric Egyptians)

North African Crested Porcupine (not native)

Nubian Ibex (not native)

Olive Baboon (likely not native, sometimes called the Anubis Baboon)

Persian Fallow Deer (not native)

Rhim Gazelle

Rüppell's Fox

Sand Rat

Serval (likely not native, but Ra was depicted as one)

Scimitar Oryx

Soemmerring's Gazelle

Somali Dwarf Shrew

Spotted Hyena

Spotted-necked Otter

Striped Hyena

Syrian Brown Bear (not native)

Wild Boar

White Rhinoceros

Yellow Baboon (not native, species' epithet means 'dog-head' in Greek)

Vervet Monkey

Reptiles

African Chameleon

African Rock Python

Arabian Horned Viper

Desert Horned Viper

Desert Monitor Lizard

Egyptian Cobra

Egyptian Gecko

Egyptian Sand Boa

Egyptian Sand Racer

Egyptian Tortoise

Javelin Sand Boa

Insects/Arachnids/Etc.

Nile Crocodile

Nile Soft-shelled Turtle

Red Spitting Cobra

Saharan Sand Viper

Amphibians

African Common Toad

European Green Toad

Marsh Frog

Mascarene Grass Frog

Nile Delta Toad

Nile Valley Toad

Camel Spider

Banded Garden Spider

Brown Widow Spider

Carpenter Ant

Centipede

Click Beetle

Common Housefly (NOT considered a pest, actually revered as a protector)

Danaid Eggfly

Desert Ant

Desert Locust

Devil's Coach Horse Beetle

Dorippus Tiger Butterfly

Dragonfly

Flea

Fire Ant

Jewel Beetle

Gaudy Commodore Butterfly

Half-edged Wall Jumping Spider

Large Salmon Arab Butterfly

Maggot/Carrion Fly

Migratory Locust

Messor Ant

Millipede

Red-breasted Goose

Mosquito (pest)

Moths in the Saturniidae family

Palestine Yellow Scorpion

Pantropical Jumping Spider

Pharaoh Ant

Plain Tiger Butterfly

Praying Mantis

Scarab Beetle

Sinai Baton Blue Butterfly

Southern White Admiral Butterfly

Scorpions in the Buthidae and Scorpionidae families

Water Scorpion

Fish, Mollusks, etc. (Keep in mind fish were taboo in Kemet)

Abju

African Catfish

African Tigerfish

Bayad Fish

Blacktip Shark

Blue-spotted Stingray

Bolti

Chromis

Cichlid

Cornish Jack

Eel

Flatfish

Gilt-head Bream

Great Barracuda

Leopard Shark

Lepidotus Fish

Loligo Squid

Lungfish

Moon Fish

Mullet

Nile Barb

Nile Bichir

Nile Carp

Nile Mormyrid

Nile Labeo

Nile Perch

Nile Puffer

Parrotfish

Reef Manta Ray

Reef Shark

Sandbar Shark

Sea Snake

Scorpionfish

Spiny Lobster

Sturgeon

Surgeonfish

Swordfish

Thornback Ray

Thresher Shark

Tiger Shark

Tilapia

Triggerfish

Unicorn Fish

Wrasse

Zebra Shark

Domestic Animals

Bean Goose

Brant Goose

Camel (not introduced until Middle/New Kingdom)

Cats (Mau breed)

Chickens (not introduced until New Kingdom era)

Cow/Bull

Dogs (Saluki, Greyhound, Basenji, and Pharaoh Hound breeds)

Donkey

Egyptian Goose

Greater White-fronted Goose

Greylag Goose

Honey Bees

Horse (not introduced until New Kingdom)

Pig

Ram

My sources, if you're interested, are the Wikipedia page for Egyptian wildlife, a few different diving sites about the Mediterranean and Red Sea, a couple books I own on Ancient Egypt that describe the geography of the periods, and this lovely reddit multi-post

Sheep