Crustaceans

On land

Wood lice

  • Wood lice

Wood lice are land-living crustaceans. They need damp, dark shady places to hide from the sun, which would dry them out. Some of them curl up into balls to protect themselves. They feed at night-time, eating soft and rotten plant, wood and animal remains, which they recycle back into the soil.

On the seashore

Shore crab

  • Shore crab

The shore crab is one of the most common types of crab at Kilve shore. Its flat shell is green or red, and you can often find it hiding under larger stones or seaweed. Shore crabs will eat almost anything, alive or dead!

Sandhoppers

  • Sandhoppers

Sandhoppers have flat, brownish bodies that curve down at the end. They often move in pairs, with the female fitting in the curve of the male’s body. They hide in sand and under seaweed to stay moist, but they jump about if they are disturbed. Sandhoppers eat seaweed and tiny bits of dead animals.