Hermit crabs all over the world, which scavenge shells as armour for their bodies, are turning increasingly to plastic waste instead.
Hermit crabs all over the world, which scavenge shells as armour for their bodies, are turning increasingly to plastic waste instead.
The actual paper is short and easy to read. It’s based on photos posted online, so it says little on the pervasiveness of the behaviour. As the research puts it:
The reasons for choosing artificial shells haven’t been tested either. The paper proposes some hypotheses (reduced weight, plastic emitting odours akin to actual seashells, lookin’ sexy), but ultimately more research is needed to be able to affirm anything.