Save all the hermit crabs!
A hermit crab competes during the 28th Annual Miss Crustacean Pageant and Hermit Crab Races August 6, 2003 in Ocean City, New Jersey.
Some people make it their mission to save orphans, endangered species, perhaps an adorable baby seal or two, but one determined Craigslist member may be undertaking the most important cause that the Washington, DC, area has ever seen: Saving the hermit crab.
The Craigslist poster laments that many families go to beaches and bring hermit crabs home but soon lose interest in them.
"I know alot [SIC] of families will get them from the beaches then soon loose [SIC] interest. If this has happened let me know and I will give them a lovely place to live," writes the poster.
It isn’t for his or her own shellfish, excuse me, selfish need to be surrounded by the tiny crustacean.
The poster explained that hermit crabs thrive in a busy environment and love company. "The more room and friends for them to have, the longer and happier they are :~)."
In fact, it's their social nature that gives the little guys their nickname, "soldier crabs," for the way they troop together when moving on the sea floor.
The poster has already saved four single hermit crabs from various families. They're not just "crawling, climbing, eating and bathing" but also "chattering with one another."
Sadly, someone continues to try to kill this Craigslister’s buzz by continuing to mark the post as “spam.” If you are that person, the Craigslist poster has one message for you: Man up.
“Who ever keeps flagging my add, for no reason, can you please step up an email and let me know what your issue with me saving hermit crabs is? After all, isnt that what this pets section is…looking for a safe loving home, for unwanted animals???? [SIC]"
If you are looking to get rid of the crabs you caught at the beach, please, don’t flush them down the toilet (that’s how the Teenage Mutant Ninja epidemic started), instead give them to a loving, not at all creepy, home.
What’s the best Craiglist ad you’ve ever seen?
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?