A North Carolina woman was shocked after a shell she picked up at the beach turned out to be live.

Hannah Dean posted her funny clip of the hermit crab emerging from its shell in her kitchen to TikTok (@heynurse01) on June 14.

She told Newsflare: "I found this shell on the beach, and I checked it multiple times to make sure it was animal-free. We then left the shell on a table outside at the beach, where it sat unmoved for two days.

"I put the shell in my beach bag and drove three and a half hours home. When we got home, I put the shell on my shelf, and within five minutes, we hear a glass falling. Thinking it was our kid, we ran into the kitchen, but all we found was this hermit crab, crawling across the counter."

Later, Hannah took the hermit crab, who she named Bernie, to a specialized pet store, who returned it to the beach.

I found this shell on the beach, and I checked it multiple times to make sure it was animal free, we then left the shell on a table outside at the beach, where it sat unmoved for 2 days. I brought the shell home in my beach bag and drove 3 1/2 hours home. When we got home I put the shell on my shelf and within 5 minutes we hear a glass falling, thinking it was our kid we ran into the kitchen, but all we found was this hermit crab. Crawling across the counter.