What are crabs?

Crabs are shelled animals that live in water and walk on the bottom like little chefs wearing plates on their backs.

Imagine you're playing with toy blocks, crabs are like those blocks, but they move! They have two big claws for catching food and walking legs that let them scuttle across the sandy floor of the ocean or a beach. When they feel safe, they hide under rocks or in holes, just like how you might hide behind a couch when you're playing tag.

Crabs walk sideways most of the time, kind of like how you might shuffle your feet when you’re trying to be quiet. They use their claws to grab things, maybe a piece of seaweed or even another crab! Some crabs are really fast and can run away from danger in just a few seconds.

Crabs are hungry little creatures, and they eat almost anything they can catch, tiny fish, snails, worms, or even dead animals on the ocean floor. They use their claws to pinch and pull food toward them, kind of like how you might grab a sandwich with your hands.

Crabs are simple but clever, and they're all around us, just waiting for you to notice!