Hermit Crab Shell Selection free essay sample

Examines crabs complex decision making process in picking shells to dwell in. INTRODUCTION Research is currently being pursued in shell selection by the hermit crab. Hermit crabs usually are found in empty gastropod shells, seeking protection from predators, desiccation, and other hermit crabs. The hermit crab does not seem to select a place to stay at random but rather appears to have a selection process. Precisely what this process is and how the crab makes a decision as to what shell to select and what shell to reject is the subject of much research. Hermit crabs are considered ideal for research into decision making of this sort. When an animal stops performing one activity, it must decide what activity to perform next, and this is called a decision point. At any time, causal factors for several different potential activities are likely present, and..