[1] The Australian land hermit crab (Coenobita variabilis) reaches a carapace length of 40 millimetres (1.6 in).

[2] They closely resemble the Pacific hermit crab (Coenobita compressus) in appearance and they both have a shortened aquatic development stage.

[3] Australian land hermit crabs are light brown to pale brown in colour, with two dark ovals on the front of the head.

As the hermit crabs grow, they must exchange their shell for a larger one.

[2] The availability of empty shells depends on the abundance of the gastropods and hermit crabs, but most importantly on the frequency of organisms that prey on gastropods but leave the shells intact.