Mr. Kool. With a K

© shoutingforha

A certain redhead has brought it to my attention that I have neglected to write about his Red Clawed Crab, Mr. Kool.  That's Kool with a K.  Don't forget it.


In the interest of keeping things honest, I feel like I need to tell you that this is Mr. Kool #2.  Mr. Kool #1, the Fiddler Crab that the boy brought home from school, only lived a week.  Within days of his arrival at the Ha house, the poor creature began to systematically shed his legs one by one.  Incapable of moving, #1 died, most likely from starvation.

I think the real culprits were the other male Fiddler Crabs in the habitat at school.  The boy told me that they were constantly fighting over the lone female crab.  Weeks of altercations probably left his joints weakened and eventually the legs just fell off. 

After hurling the dead crustacean into the back yard, I promised the boy that I would get him a replacement.  My only stipulation was that we wait until after our back-to-back trips to Colorado and Seattle.  I couldn't bear the thought of having to find someone to take care of the dog, the frog, the fish AND a crab. 

The current Mr. Kool seems to be adjusting quite well to his new home.  He spends his days hiding under a rock, soaking in the saltwater pool, climbing to the top of the plastic plants and snacking on crispy blood worms.  Yum.  

He also seems to spend an inordinately large amount of time shoveling sand into his mouth with his two front claws.  I'm not sure what that is all about, but then again, I'm not a crab.

The boy is convinced that Mr. Kool will still be around when he heads off to college.  I'm just hoping that he makes it through the holidays with all of his legs intact.  I'll keep you posted.