Crabs at the Shore

Abstract

Crabs are usually found near the sea, but some live in rivers, and some live on land. Many animals eat crabs, so crabs have a hard outer shell to protect themselves. Crabs outgrow their shells. So crabs shed their hard outer shell and grow a new one. This is called moulting. When they have lost their old shell their body is very soft for a while. They have to hide under rocks until their shell becomes hard again. Crabs have to shed their outer shell many times before they are fully grown.