Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Prosthetics for crabs

for when legs go bad.
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During the moulting process it is not uncommon for crabs to lose limbs. As they pull themselves free from thier old shell they only have a limited time before thier new shell hardens and if they haven't pulled everything out, the new shel hardens within the old one and they have to rip off thier trapped limbs in order to continue. Theese tend to be the back legs and my proposal is this: A simple multi spoked rubbery wheel could be attached either with a harness or suction cup arrangement behind the crab.

- It would aid balance because of the added weight and the little fella wouldn't topple forwards.

- It would be flexible due to the rubber so it could move in and out of crevices without getting stuck.

-The wheel would rotate and aid movement when the crab is mobile.

-The crab wouldnt be able to take it off because it cant reach round that far.

(some would be of the opinion that crabs can grow legs back. this has been a contensious issue, a vet friend said they couldn't, an aquarium guy said they could).

Yosarian, Dec 06 2005

in nature, almost anything is possible. http://theedgeam.co...2headedtortoise.jpg
[po, Dec 06 2005]

& for dogs http://www.wheelchairsfordogs.com/
[po, Dec 06 2005]

[link]






       //a vet friend said they couldn't// Just 'cos a guy has served in the armed forces doesn't make him an expert on crabs. No, wait...
coprocephalous, Dec 06 2005
  

       I don't know about growing their legs back but don't throw toothpicks into urinals because they Can pole vault.   

       instar?
Yosarian, Dec 06 2005
  

       //instar// The period between moults for an arthropod.
coprocephalous, Dec 06 2005
  

       So will 'citizen snips' grow his missing pins back or not!?
Yosarian, Dec 06 2005
  

       Anyway the vet is my goilfriends sister and she alegedly specialises in rare species
Yosarian, Dec 06 2005
  

       [Po] Ah, a Pull-me-Pull-You! and in the second link, it looks like the dog's mastered driving fast cars as well as chariots.
Dub, Dec 06 2005
  

       like the wheelchairs for dogs, kind of inspired the whole idea- not sure about the turtle with two heads, dont get me wrong, I like the picture, just got a bit of difficulty with the relevance.
Yosarian, Dec 06 2005
  

       // relevance// just your asking about whether new legs were a possibility, that's all
po, Dec 06 2005
  

       Not sure about this. I worry it will encourage them to take to a career of begging. Have images of being pursued by a crab with a squeaky wheel, going 'spare a coin for an ex-cripple crustacean, y'honour. There I was, job for life, then without so much as a by-your-leave, this biologist slaps a couple of rubber wheels on me! Took away me livelihood! What's a crab to do, eh?"   

       Alternatively, we could graft one of those extra turtle heads onto the crab, and it could walk around on that.
moomintroll, Dec 06 2005
  

       so can they grow back the legs or not? I mean, he can manage, he's just a little less aesthetically pleasing.
Yosarian, Dec 07 2005
  
      
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