Hermit crabs are the original recyclers using shells discarded by others for their homes. They only leave their shell home when they outgrow it, as they are vulnerable to predators without it, and have even been spotted in a ‘housing chain’ each waiting for the one with a slightly bigger shell to move out. They have also been known to use discarded plastic such as bottle caps as homes, although this isn’t always successful.
I have certainly seen them on Pettycur beach, near where I live, and yes, I did check there wasn’t one inside the broken whelk shell I found for this piece!
The crab is shaped over recycled wire(the bit that holds champagne corks in) and the fabric covering it is hand dyed cotton scrim. I already had the background fabric and the threads, so the only thing that isn’t reused is the frame.
Hermit crab by Kath Jackson
