Animal Care/Snail shells with round or oval openings

Hermit crabs that usually prefer shells with circular or oval openings are:

• Indonesian hermit crabs or "Indos" (Coenobita brevimanus)
• Caribbean hermit crab or "Purple Pinchers" (Coenobita clypeatus)
• Strawberry hermit crabs "Strawberries" (Coenobita perlatus)
• Rugosus hermit crabs or "Rugs" (Coenobita rugosus)

As pets they tend to give preference to particular snail (class Gastropoda, phylum Mollusca) shells (bold if known to be within the Purple Pincher's normal range; Picture2  links may contain pictures of shells that have been misidentified; not all shells at the "common names" links may be appropriate for hermit crabs):

• Superorder Vetigastropoda - Order under revision

• turban shells (common names ; family Turbinidae - Family pictures ) - Examples:

• Silvermouth Turban (Turbo argyrostomus ) - Region: Indo-W.Pacific - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Filose Turban (Turbo cailletii ) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Channeled Turban (Turbo canaliculatus ) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Chestnut or Knobby Turban (Turbo castanea ) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Goldmouth Turban (Turbo chrysostomus ) - Region: SE Africa-W.Pacific - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Smooth Moon Turban (Turbo cinereus ) - Regions: Indo-Australia area, China - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Fluctuating Turban, Pacific Turban or Mexican Turbo (Turbo fluctuosus ) - Region: Baja California,Mexico-Peru; Galápagos - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Green Turban (Turbo marmoratus ) - Regions: Indo-Australia area, Japan, Africa - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Tapestry Turban (Turbo petholatus ) - Regions: India, Philippines, South Africa - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• South African Turban (Turbo sarmaticus ) - Region: South Africa - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Stenogyrus Turban (Turbo stenogyrum ) - Region: SW Pacific, Japan-Indonesia - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Wavy Turban or Common Warrener (Turbo undulata ) - Region: New Zealand - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2

• West Indian Topshell shells (Cittarium pica - was Turbo pica ; family Trochidae - - Family Pictures ) - also called the Magpie, the West Indian Topsnail, or erroneously the West Indian Whelk. Over fishing of this snail (Bermuda) has been known to negatively effect the Purple Pincher population. - Region: C.Americas-Bahamas - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2

• Superorder Caenogastropoda - Order Sorbeoconcha

• murex shells (common names; family Muricidae - Family pictures ) - Examples:

• Ramose Murex (Chicoreus ramosus ) - Region: Indo-W.Pacific; Red Sea - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Virgin Murex (Chicoreus virgineus ) - Region: Red Sea-Bay of Bengal - Picture - Picture2
• Endive Murex (Hexaplex endivia ) - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Pink Mouthed Murex (Hexaplex/Phyllonotus erythrostomus ) - Region: Sea of Cortèz, Mexico-Peru - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Black Murex (Hexaplex nigritus ) - Region: Sea of Cortèz, Mexico - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Apple Murex (Phyllonotus pomum ) - ZipCodeZoo entry - - Picture - Picture2

• "rock shell" shells (common names ; family Muricidae - Family pictures ) - Examples:

• Belligerent Rock Shell (Thais armigera ) - Region: SW Pacific-Japan; Réunion - ZipcodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Chestnut Rock Shell (Thais bitubercularis ) - Region: E.Africa-Philippines & Australia - ZipcodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Blanford's Rock Shell (Thais blanfordi ) - Region: Durban,RSA-Arabian Gulf - Picture - Picture2
• Coronate Rock Shell (Thais coronata ) - Region: Mauritania-Angola; Colombia-NE Brazil - ZipcodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Deltoid Rock Shell (Thais deltoidea ) - Region: Bermuda; Florida, USA; W.Indies; Brazil - ZipcodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Kiosque Rock Shell (Thais kiosquiformis ) - Region: Baja California, Mexico-Peru - ZipcodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Carinate Rock Shell (Thais lacera/mutabilis ) - Region: Durban Bay, RSA-Red Sea-SE Asia; E.Mediterranean - ZipcodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Gourd Rock Shell (Thais melones ) - Region: Pacific Mexico- Peru; Galápagos - ZipcodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• White Rock Shell (Thais orbita ) - Region: N.New Zealand; S.-E.Australia - ZipcodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Orb Rock Shell (Thais orbita aegrota ) - Region: W.Australia - Picture - Picture2
• Orb Rock Shell (Thais orbita textilosa ) - Region: Victoria; S.Australia - Picture - Picture2
• Rugose Rock Shell (Thais sacellum ) - Region: Bermuda; Florida, USA; W.Indies; Brazil - Picture - Picture2
• Tissot's Rock Shell (Thais tissoti ) - Region: KwaZuluNatal,RSA-Red Sea & E.Africa-Sri Lanka - Picture - Picture2

• "tulip shell" shells (common names ; family Fasciolariidae - Family pictures ) - Examples:

• Yellow Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria bullisi ) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture
• Mediterranean Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria lignaria ) - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Hunter's Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria lilium hunteria ) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Banded Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria lilium tortugana ) - Region: the Americas - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• True Tulip Shell (Fasciolaria tulipa ) - Regions: Americas, India, etc. - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2

• Atlantic Striped Fox shells (Fasciolaria trapezium audouini ; family Fasciolariidae) - Regions: E Africa, Indo-W.Pacific - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• periwinkle shells (common names ; family Littorinidae - Family Pictures ) - Examples:

• Slender Periwinkle (Echinolittorina/Nodilittorina angustior ) - Regions: N.America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Lineolate Periwinkle (Echinolittorina/Nodilittorina lineolata ) - Region: Florida,USA-Mexico-Uruguay - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• White-Spotted Periwinkle (Echinolittorina/Nodilittorina meleagris ) - Regions: N.America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Dwarf Brown Periwinkle (Echinolittorina/Nodilittorina mespillum ) - Regions: N.America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Zebra Periwinkle (Echinolittorina/Nodilittorina ziczac ) - Regions: E.Pacific, N.America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Mangrove Periwinkle (Littoraria angulifera ) - Regions: North America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Marsh Periwinkle (Littoraria irrorata ) - Regions: North America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Cloudy Periwinkle (Littoraria nebulosa ) - Regions: North America, Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Common Periwinkle (Littorina littorea ) - Regions: North America, Caribbean, Europe, India, etc. - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Checkered Periwinkle (Littorina scutulata ) - Regions: the Americas, Australia - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2

• frog shells (common names ; family Bursidae - Family pictures ) - Examples:

• Spiny Frogsnail (Bufonaria echinata/Bursa Spinosa ) - Regions: Philippines; Indian Ocean; China - Picture - Picture2
• Common Frogsnail (Bufonaria/Bursa rana ) - Regions: Japan-E. & W. Australia - Picture - Picture2
• Granular Frogsnail (Bursa granularis cubaniana ) - Regions: SE Florida,USA-Colombia; Jamaica-NE.Brazil - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Elegant/Pacamon Frogsnail (Bursa grayana ) - Regions: Florida Keys; Cuba; Curaçao-NE.Brazil - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• California Frogsnail (Crossata californica ) - Regions: C.California,USA-Sea of Cortèz, Mexico - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Red-ringed/Red-mouth Frogsnail (Tutufa bufo ) - Region: Indo-W.Pacific - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Ruddy/Red-mouthed Frogsnail (Tutufa rubeta ) - Region: Indo-W.Pacific - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2

• nutmeg shells (common names ; family Cancellariidae - - Family pictures ) - Examples:

• Basket Nutmeg (Gerdiella crobicula ) - Region: E.Pacific - ZipCodeZoo
• Rugosa Nutmeg (Trigonostoma rugosum ) - Regions: Florida, E.Pacific, Western Atlantic - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2

• King's Crown Conch shells (Melongena corona ; family Melongenidae - Family pictures ) - Region: Western Atlantic Ocean - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2

• order Pulmonata - have lungs rather than gills

• Haitian Tree Snail shells [also called "Candy Striped" or "Rainbow" shells] (Liguus virgineus|Liguus virgineus ; family Orthalicidae) - Region: Cuba - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Japanese Land Snail shells [also called "Land Fairy" shells] (Euhadra peliomphala hickonis , family Bradybaenidae) - Region: Japan - ZipCodeZoo entry - Picture - Picture2
• Giant African Snail or Ghana Tiger Snail shells (Achatina achatina ; family Achatinidae) - Regions: Asia, Pacific and Indian Oceans islands, West Indies - Picture - Picture2