Tag Archives: hermit crabs

Hermit Crab’s New Home

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Four new homes lie ready and waiting for this Hermit Crab I found in our wild area today

Four new homes lie ready and waiting for this Hermit Crab I found in our wild area today

This little Soldier Crab was maneuvering quite easily with his four inch, closed pipe for a home. Barry watched him while I ran to get my camera and play realtor by looking for some shells that might make a new, more traditional home for him.

The reddish pipe or tube like container didn't look all that comfortable.

The reddish pipe or tube like container didn’t look all that comfortable.

Checking out a Tulip Shell for size and fit??

Checking out a Tulip Shell for size and fit??

Here's a West Indian Top Snail shell that our hermit crab is taking a look at.

Here’s a West Indian Top Snail shell that our hermit crab is taking a look at.

Hermit crabs are the only crabs that are able to walk forwards!!

Hermit crabs are the only crabs that are able to walk forwards!!

This shell is also known as the Magpie Shell as is a species of large edible sea snail

This shell is also known as the Magpie Shell and is a species of large edible sea snail

The West Indian Top Snail shell is very popular indeed as “housing” for the large land hermit crab species and over the years we have gathered quite a few for occasions such as this. They are found at water’s edge and the snail is known as “wilks” or sometimes as “whelks” in the islands here where they are popular food item.
Tomorrow’ post will show the hermit crab moving into his new “shell” home.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com
 

Flora and Fauna at Harbour Club Villas

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An anole lizard wards off visitors on Harbour Club Villas’ office deck.

Another week of photographing some of the critters wandering through the gardens at Harbour Club Villas along with our beautiful wild orchids that have just started to bloom. I came home the other day to this anole lizard guarding our deck. He wasn’t too pleased to see me but did pose long enough for me to snap a photo or two.

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Cute anole and he had the most gorgeous colours on top of his little head.

 

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A pretty shell house for this little hermit crab……..he didn’t want to go to the pool!

We often find hermit crabs also know locally as soldier crabs ambling on through. Sometimes we even help them by giving them a choice of a new home. There’s also been some strange houses such as PVC pipe, an old film canister and basically they’ll use whatever they can find in the moment. This one had a very pretty shell.

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We often find hermit crabs and I’m sure I’ve photographed many of them.

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Here’s a gorgeous Encyclia Altissima wild orchid.

The wild orchids are blooming all over Providenciales. Found our first Encyclia Altissima orchid today just starting to bloom and what a beautiful scent they have.

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A cluster of wild orchids in the bush by Harbour Club Villas

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A Cuban tree frog ……….. look at those suction pads.

This little Cuban tree frog is not native to the Turks and Caicos Islands but they are spreading rapidly throughout.

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Pretty amazing to see how far they can jump!

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A yellow bellied sap sucker………this is a new bird for me and really exciting to see.

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Here he is pecking holes in our coconut palms.

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A row of old holes and then the new ones.

It was thrilling to catch sight of and photograph the yellow bellied sap sucker. Definitely not easy to do as they are very shy birds and hard to get a photo of them.

Hoping we can show you some of the local critters around Harbour Club Villas…lots of birds, lizards, geckos and some beautiful flowering plants and shrubs.

Marta

Bonefish Point Sandbar

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A perfect afternoon on and in the water with the boys pulling us up to the sandbar..........it simply was the best

A perfect afternoon on and in the water with the boys pulling us up to the sandbar..........it simply was the best

We both had family visiting so it was an opportunity to take a leisurely run out to the sand bar at Bonefish Point. We took off from our marina at Harbour Club Villas. There’s a deep water channel ( 12 feet deep or so ) to the right of the sandbar and all of a sudden you’re in a foot of water. The guys put the anchor out and then decided to walk it into the shallows.

Barry floats along in the clear water and enjoys the best view in the world

Barry floats along in the clear water and enjoys the best view in the world

We saw some beautiful sea cushions ( see my previous post) and some smaller white starfish. Laura explored some rocks in the shallows and found numerous hermit crabs.

Laura shows me her find.............tiny little shells with crabs in them

Laura shows me her find.............tiny little shells with crabs in them

Here's a small hermit crab just walking along the edge of the water

Here's a small hermit crab just walking along the edge of the water

 

Barry, Tina and Sheldon stayed in the water pretty much all afternoon.

Barry, Tina and Sheldon stayed in the water pretty much all afternoon.

We all cooled off by staying in the water beer in hand. The Bonefish Point sandbar is on the south west tip of the island and accessible by road now. It never used to be……….the only way of getting here a few years ago was by boat or doing an excursion with Capt. Bill of Ocean Outback. This trip by the way is a great way of seeing the south shoreline. Hope you get to see this part of our island too.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com