Walking the beach at daybreak, I found this guy washed up, on his back, feet waving frantically in the air. I almost stepped on him. He was about 3 inches long and the color of the sand. I flipped him over and he just sat there, so I scooped him up and put him back in the surf. Do you have any idea what he might be? He doesn’t look shrimpy to me, more lobstery. Look at the claw things, they sorta remind me of a praying mantis.
Stumble It!
Behind the Bins 
Well….some sort of crab?
I suspect you have the answer hidden in your description. I believe that that is a Mantis Shrimp or Stomatopod.
Fascinating creatures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_shrimp
That is a very strange crusty…have never seen that before.
Very cool creature. Mantis shrimp, huh? That’s a new one for me, too.
You just never know what you’re gonna learn around here!