Jessica+Tilton+and+Lena+Sander

=__ The Affect of Sudafed on Hermit Crabs __= __ Jessica Tilton & Lena Sander __ __ 1st Hour Honors __

Purpose: Since Sudafed makes a majority of humans more active, we decided to give it to hermit crabs because they are naturally inactive animals. One of Sudafed's most common side effects in restlessness which is the ability to not sit still, in case you did not know. (//Pseudoephedrine//.) Another side effect that we will look for in the hermit crab is a skin eruption or rash. It is one of the common side effects in humans when taking the drug. ("Drugs - Body & Health.") Hermit Crabs are nocturnal creatures so they would not be very active during the day. We are hoping the Sudafed will help the hermit crabs become more active during the day time. ("Frequently Asked Question.") Keeping them at a temperature range of anything lower than 78 degrees could kill them, and little to no time above 80 degrees will kill them. ( "Hermit Crabs For Sale - Exotic Pets.") The basic rule of thumb for land hermit crabs' drinkig water is this: Do not give the crab any water you would not put in a tropical fish tank. (Adding on to temoerature), The temperature shpuld be no lower than 75 degrees. ( "BASIC CRAB CARE.") The food given to the crabs has to be given to them at a sand castle consistency. (//What Do Hermit Crabs Eat?//) We are planning to observe our crabs for a week and record their normal activity and eating patterns. Then we will introduce the Sudafed slowly into our test subject hermit crab's diet. After that, we will again observe the hermit crabs and compare their activity, skin color, and diet to before the Sudafed. All in all, we are hoping to discover changes in our hermit crabs due to exposing them to the drug, Sudafed. We will observe the hermit crabs on sudafed for two-four weeks depending on their health. We will give them a MUCH lesser dose than a human can take, because they are drastically smaller creatures than we are.

Hypothesis: If our hermit crab eats Sudafed, then its activity levels will increase and its skin color will change.

__Materials__
 * Hermit Crabs-4
 * Cages-4
 * 2 bags of Hermit Crab Food-8 pieces of food per week
 * A Box of 4 hour Sudafed-2pills per bottle of water (used to refill sponge)
 * 12 Extra Shells
 * 2 bags of Cage Lining-1 inch thickj
 * 4 All natural sea sponge
 * 2 gallons of Water
 * 4 Butter Dish Lids

First few days with sudafed (after nothing changed).
 * Day 1 || Day2 || Day 3 || Day 4 ||
 * They recieved the sudafed || Their reaction time slowed || ... || They seemed blind ||

__ Procedure __
 * 1) We would measure their normal activity for two solid weeks. Giving them the same amount of food as we would if we strarted giving them the drug. (4 tablespoons per week, per 2 crabs)
 * 2) After two weeks of observing them without the sudafed, we will add 1 crushed pill to their amount of 4 tablespooms of food, about 1/4 a cup.
 * 3) We will observe them for 2 weeks.
 * 4) We will then compare our results with each other to see if our crabs' activites were different from each other.
 * 5) After, we will compare our results from the first two weeks without the drug.
 * 6) Lastly, we will compare our data with our hypothesis to see if it supported it or not.

Sources Cited: "BASIC CRAB CARE." //HERMIT-CRABS.COM//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2012.

"Drugs - Body & Health." //Drugs - Body & Health//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2012.

"Frequently Asked Question." //Frequently Asked Question//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2012.

"Hermit Crabs For Sale - Exotic Pets." //Hermit Crabs For Sale - Exotic Pets//. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2012. //Pseudoephedrine//. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Dec. -0001. Web. 17 Dec. 2012. //What Do Hermit Crabs Eat?// N.p., 15 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Dec. 2012

How long will you record the hermit crabs on Sudafed? (Kaylinn Tessendorf) Will you give the hermit carbs the same amount of Sudafed as a human would take or is it different?(Monica Dentino) Are you going to measure they're regular activity before you give them the Sudafed? (Hailey Trulock) Explain more on why you want to do this expeirment (Paige Holthe 1-10-13) Maybe try to find the information to replace "N.p. and n.d."(Liz Foster) How much food are you going to give each hermit crab each day and are you giving the hermit crabs all the same amount of food?(Cassulo, 1-10-13)