the origin of two purple-clawed crabs, left on the building's front porch last month.

Head aquarist Mrs. Jennifer Gray-Conklin said the land hermit crabs were discovered on the morning of March 29 and it was assumed they were unwanted house pets.

"As the crabs are carrying shells not found locally,'' she said, "we have to assume they are not local animals.

"If we knew the two abandoned hermit crabs were local, we would be able to immediately release them back into the wild to help the dwindling population.

If the crabs are not local, it may still be possible to release them depending on their origin.'' Mrs. Gray-Conklin said Bermuda's population of land hermit crabs -- Coenobita clypeatus -- was on the verge of possible extinction and unknown to most residents.

"They are unique from other crabs in that they carry their homes on their backs,'' she said. "They are totally dependent on their borrowed shell homes for survival, and can only grow by moving into a bigger shell.'' She noted that Bermuda's crabs use the fossil shells of the whelk, the West Indian Topshell, which became extinct here 200 years ago. Scientists believe they survived the severe "housing shortage'' over the past 200 years due to the unearthing of fossil whelk shells by hurricanes.

The whelks were made a protected species in 1982 when they were reintroduced to the Island by Mr. Teddy Tucker and Aquarium staff.

The abandoned purple-clawed crabs are now under the care of the Aquarium's Invertebrate Aquarist, Ms Tracy MacPhee.

Anyone with information about them can call or write either to Mrs.

Gray-Conklin or Ms MacPhee at the Aquarium, Museum & Zoo.

SHELL-SHOCKED -- Student employee Jodie King shows the two purple-clawed crabs left in a cardboard box outside the Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo last month.