SPOD: Alternatives to the Pet Rock

Continuing with our Strange Pet of the Day feature.

Is a Pet Rock slightly too inanimate for you? Would you like an alternative that is almost as inanimate as a Pet Rock but which is still occasionally capable of some observable movement?

Your problems are all solved. Can you guess which pet this is based on this snippet of the FAQ for that pet?

12) They do not seem to be climbing on the tree branch I have for them in the cage - at least not very much - is this ok?

Don't worry, they're probably climbing while you're sleeping. Even if you don't see your [MYSTERY PET] climbing, you should still provide pieces of wood and coral for them...

18) I think my [MYSTERY PET] is dead but I'm not sure...

If you really are not sure whether your [MYSTERY PET] is dead or just [DELETED], or if you think it's dead but you just don't want to accidentally throw away a living [MYSTERY PET], the best thing to do until you have more experience with [MYSTERY PET] is to leave the [MYSTERY PET] in the cage for about a week. If it is dead, you'll know because it will give off a strong, [DELETED] odor after a few days...

Can you guess the [MYSTERY PET]? We know it's not a dog, or even a cat. Could it be a snake? No, even they move occasionally. It's certainly not a Wackalookaburribarwall.

Give up?

Here's a hint: you've probably eaten pounds of this pet's close relatives. So, you know it's not a really strange animal.

Here's another hint: the people who own this as a pet and not a future food item are apparently serious. This does not appear to be a joke.

OK, final hint: you've probably eaten lots of this pet's relatives if you're near the Chesapeake Bay.

The MYSTERY PET is the hermit crab. You can read about Assateague, Tiger, Ossippee, Wallops, Isabella, Bolivia, the late Antonio, Fenwick, Santana, and Arista here. There are pictures of hermit crab pets here. The aforementioned FAQ is here.

And, to learn how to handle crabs, click the following picture: