Land hermit crab (Coenobita clypeatus) densities and patterns of gastropod shell use on small Bahamian islands

Land hermit crabs are common in many insular and coastal habitats in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide (Hartnoll, 1988; Greenaway, 2003). Some species, such as Coenobita clypeatus (Herbst), may be found many kilometres inland (Chace & Hobbs, 1969; DeWilde, 1973; NievesRivera & Williams, 2003). However, relatively few studies have addressed the densities of land hermit crabs, their ecological interactions with other types of organisms or, ultimately, the role land hermit crabs may play in food webs. Department of Biology, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA and Center for Population Biology and Section of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA