Fast Fiction

Humans have been tinkering with nature for a long time. Farming and ranching have changed the planet.

But shouldn’t we just leave well enough alone? Should we really try to improve upon creatures in the wild? I know that where humans have interfered with wild animals we try to bring balance back to the situation. They give deer birth control shots instead of culling the heards. They move animals away from inhabited areas to more remote ones.

This one really got me though. An artist/designer has figured out how to fabricate better shells for hermit crabs.

Yes, hermit crabs. Those little crabs that take cast off shells in the ocean and on the beach and recycle them for their own protection. Apparently there is a scarcity of reusable shells on the beaches these days (yes, someone did a study). These fake shells are lighter and better fitting than those natural ones.

Here’s my problem. It’s one thing to try to help out a species with things like birdhouses, but another to give them an advantage. What of the poor hermit crab who prefers a real shell, is he to suffer because suddenly the fake shell crew has an advantage. And what of the offspring of these fake shells, what if they can’t find a fake shell, what if they’re no longer able to tote around those heavy real shells that they evolved for? What if we make them so dependent on us that they’re no longer able to fend for themselves?