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Very rare pair of hermit crabs fixed on a turned wooden base with the relative serial number of some collection in some museum.Hermit crabs are crustaceans with a curved and soft abdomen.

The hermit crab lives in empty gastropod shells on which it sometimes attaches sponges or poisonous anemones to camouflage and defend itself. In case of danger it can withdraw completely inside the shell. The terminal part of the hermit crab's tail is adapted to strongly grasp the shell that it always carries with it.When it grows and the size of the shell is no longer suitable it looks for a new shell to protect itself.There are about five thousand known species in the world, almost all of which live in aquatic environments, but in the tropics there are also terrestrial ones.

Wonderful pair of objects from the wunderkammer.

Italy Germany 19th century.

Height about 17.5 cm (6.9")