Crabs All the Way Down

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Mar 3, 2023

Join producer Rachael Cusick, renowned for her storytelling prowess, as she dives into the unexpected world of crabs. Discover a touching cross-species love story between an artist and her hermit crabs, exploring themes of responsibility and resilience. Delve into intriguing research about crab evolution, revealing their remarkable adaptability and survival strategies. From chaotic environments to their surprising family tree, this conversation invites you to ponder the profound connections between these crustaceans and the nature of existence.

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ANECDOTE

The Unexpected Crab Lover

Artist Mary Akers adopted a hermit crab after her children left for college, sparking an unexpected passion.
She transformed her daughter's old bedroom into a "crabitat," filled with crabs and dedicated to their care.

INSIGHT

Stolen Crabs

Most hermit crabs sold as pets are taken from the wild, as they are difficult to breed in captivity.
This is partly due to a lack of research and interest in their complex reproductive needs.

ANECDOTE

A Crab's Journey

Mary Akers dedicated herself to breeding hermit crabs, meticulously caring for eggs and larvae.
Despite initial setbacks and the emotional toll, she persevered, driven by a sense of responsibility.

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This week we examine one of nature's most humble creations: crabs. Turns out when you look closely at these little scuttlers, things get surprisingly existential — about how to come into being, how to survive chaos, and how to live. We even examine the possibility of evolutionary destiny.

This episode is a two-parter, a double-decker crab cake of sorts. Served up on a bed of lettuce and beautiful weirdness. The first layer comes from producer Rachael Cusick, and is a story she told live on stage at Pop-Up Magazine (http://www.popupmagazine.com) as a part of their Fall of 2022 tour. It chronicles a cross-species love story between artist Mary Akers (http://maryakers.com/) and an overlooked pet store companion, a creature that even Chris Tudge (https://zpr.io/MyUNwPAaqewg) — the scientist dedicated to this creature, you could say — could not get a ring on. The second layer is cooked up by Lulu, who tries to understand why crabs keep evolving (according to recent work by Jo Wolfe (https://zpr.io/2GftY9RjbLkF), Heather Bracken-Grissom (https://zpr.io/HhvMVfnThp5P) and Javier Luque (https://zpr.io/xBiQHEtNSKZr)).

Crack a leg and see what we mean.

Special thanks to the entire team at Pop Up Magazine, Randi Rotjan, Jan Pechenik, Renae Brodie, Samantha Edmonds, whose story (https://zpr.io/ELQS4VkJGaSa) from The Outline introduced us to Mary,

EPISODE CREDITS:

Reported by - Rachael Cusick and Lulu Millerwith help from - Annie McEwenProduced by - Becca Bressler with help from Ekedi Fausther-KeeysOriginal music and sound design contributed by - Ghost Girl, Jeremy Bloom with mixing help from - Arianne WackFact-checking by - Diane Kellyand Edited by - Haley Howle and Pat WaltersCITATIONS:

Articles:If you want more details about hermit crab breeding, head over to Mary’s blog to read more: http://maryakers.com/inthecrabitat/Or check out the Land Hermit Crab Owners Society: https://lhcos.org/

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