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Land Hermit Crabs
Land Hermit Crabs
A Guide
Written By
Elizabeth Dallmann
Thanks
I could not have written this without the help of The Hermit Crab Patch, a site
with a rich and beautiful source of hermit crab knowledge. I must thank
Tammy Weick, the owner of the site, for her hard work in collecting that
knowledge and putting it out on her site so that people like me can access it
and use it to better the world of hermit crab care.
I also want to thank The Epicurean Hermit and its owner, Julia Crab, for
making the safe and unsafe foods lists.
Introduction
Land Hermit Crabs are unique and wonderful animals that both
captivate and amuse us with their hi-jinks and daily activities. They clamber
about and trash tanks that their owners dolefully set up again and again.
They worry us into premature old age when they disappear into the
substrate to molt or when they are sick and/or injured. They are the perfect
pet for anyone that is allergic to anything with fur and feathers. They don’t
have any contagious diseases and are a great source of responsibility for a
child who wants a pet as they require only minutes a day to take care of
when properly kept. They, however, can be quite addictive and costly but not
always.
HAPPY CRABBING!
Table of Contents
Introduction
Reproduction
Brevimanus
Clypeatus
Cavipes
Compressus
Rugosus
Purpurous
Varibalis
Violascens
Part 3: From the Wild to the Store to Your Home
Substrate
Isolation
Part 5: Shells
Types
Size Selection
Water
Hermit Crabs aren’t actually members of the crab family. They are
more closely related to lobsters and crayfish. Unlike their well protected
cousins, the hermit crab has no exo skeleton covering its soft and vulnerable
abdomen. For this reason, they wear the remains of mollusks ( snails and
conchs ), their shells. Since they are so vulnerable when they are without
their protective shells, a hermit crab would allow itself to be torn into two
before it would go without wearing one. With this in mind, one should never
force a hermit crab to come out by pulling it. Below is a list of the various
body parts and their functions.
Abdomen: This is the soft and vulnerable part of the crab on which no
exoskeleton grows. A hermit crab must find a shell to protect it.
Gill Area: Hermit Crabs have modified stiffened gills that allow them
to breathe air so long as there is sufficient humidity. The crabs carry around
with them a supply of water in their shell to keep the gills moistened and
functioning properly.
Telson: The tip of the abdomen or tail that ends in the anus.
Exoskeleton: The hard exterior of the hermit crab that holds in the
organs and muscles as well adding protection to the body. A hermit crab has
no true skeleton like we do.
Setae: Sensitive hair like projections that cover the body. They take
in sensory data and help the hermit crab to navigate its environment.
Grooming Appendages: These are found after the fifth set of legs
and are used by the female to place the fertilized eggs within the pleopods.
Pereiopods: These are the hermit crabs legs. A hermit crab has 5 sets
of legs in all. The first set end in pinchers or claws . One is larger than the
other. The second and third pair are used for walking and the fourth pair are
used to move in and out of the shell. The fifth pair, ending in small pinchers
or claws are used to groom the gills and clean out the shell.
*Thanks again to The Hermit Crab Patch for all this useful information*
How to Determine Gender
Reproduction
Brevimanus
Often referred to as the Indo or Indonesian land hermit crab, this crab
is the largest species of land hermit crabs that are kept as pets and the
largest of the coenobita family. Some have been known to reach the size of a
coconut. They also have the thickest and strongest exoskeleton in the afore
mentioned family to help keep in moisture. They are the most terrestrial of
the family as well, rarely journeying to the ocean.
They can usually be identified by their wide bodies, long, tubular
eyestalks and left pincher that is seemingly too large in proportion to the
rest of the crab. They also commonly, but not always, have lilac coloring on
their celphalothorax and big pincher.
Indos are often docile, though they will react aggressively to a threat
by rearing up and waving their pinchers. Finding one of these crabs at your
local pet store ( if you live in ther US ) is uncommon but not unheard of. They
occur naturally in the wild from Zanzibar to Tahiti and Tuamotu Islands. This
includes the islands of Indonesia where the species gets its nickname.
Cavipes
Cavipes, or brown land hermit crabs, are a medium sized dark brown
to black crab species. As with the other species they eat omnivorously,
preferring mostly fruit. They can be found naturally occurring on the east
coast of Africa, the Philippines, China, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Polynesia and
Micronesia.
Clypeatus
Purple pinchers are the easiest species to take care of. They are hardy,
easy going ( aggression in this species is uncommon but not unheard of )
and take to their new surroundings somewhat easily. This is the perfect
beginner crab for those wanting to delve into the world of land hermit crab
keeping.
Compressus
Perlatus
Purpurous
This species is almost always confused with the Ecuadorian as they are
similar in size and appearance. There, however, is one striking difference
that often can be over looked when identifying the crab. This is a stitch like
pattern on the big pincher. Rugosus or ruggies as they are affectionately
called, are usually brown and tan colored with variations of blue, pink, and
black. Like the Ecuadorian, this species has thick eye stalks with brown
smudges at the base and large oval shaped eyes.
These hermit crabs naturally occur in Australia and the east African
coast to the south Pacific. These are uncommon to find in a US pet shop as
they have to be shipped from halfway around the world, but they can be
found.
Varibalis
Known as the Australian land hermit crab or Crazy crab, this species is
almost exclusively sold in Australia. It is sadly, most often purchased for
hermit crab races in Australian bars. This is only one of two species native to
Australia with the other being Perlatus or the strawberry land hermit crab.
This species is also similar in color and size to the Ecuadorian as well as
rugosus. This crab is usually a light to medium brown color with oval shaped
eyes.
Violascens
You are awakened some time later, though you can’t be sure how
much later, when the lid of the box opens and you see light. Startled, you
tuck back into your shell. Another hand closes around your shell and picks
you up. If you are lucky, you get to keep the shell, if not, they put you into a
painted one that is very uncomfortable, by means that are seemingly
inhumane yet still allowed to go on. Then you are boxed again and sent
further along to an unknown destination. You become hot, thirsty, hungry
and tired. The crabs around you feel the same way. Some have already died
from lack of food and water, others from the shear stress. Some have
abandoned their shells in a state of either stress or panic. Most are scared
senseless as you are. After an eternity of jostling vibrating and shaking, the
box finally stops moving. The lid opens and once again you tuck back into
your shell. This time when you are picked up, you are put down soon after on
sand. It feels somewhat familiar yet somehow different. There are others
here that seem to have been here for a while and others that came with you
in the box.
You immediately fire off all your senses and find that you are in a
container with walls that are see through and sand that smells funny
covering the bottom. You find the food, some bland generic pelleted food
that has no appeal to you, yet you are hungry enough to eat it. You find
some fresh water, yet it is trapped in a sponge and you can’t find a way to
get it out to drink. You then try to dig down to the calm soothing darkness of
the sand to unload but you hit the bottom of the container all too quickly. Its
then that you notice the rapping and screaming of creatures beyond the
glass. You hear them shout. “Ooh! I want the one in the pretty painted
shell!” “Look, that one has Spiderman on it!” Again luck plays a big part in
where you will go. If you are fortunate, you will be bought by a smart and
experienced crabber that knows what you need and will provide it. If not,
you’ll live a life, dramatically shortened, in a small plastic container with little
of the things you need.
When selecting your land hermit crab from the pet store, keep in mind
that you should look for ones that are active, reasonably intact, and still in
their shell. If you want to go ahead a resuscitate a sick and or injured crab
from the store, aka one without a shell or missing limbs, only do so if you
have the time, patience, skills, and experience necessary. Beginners are not
advised to take one on. Try if you can, to not buy one from a beach shop or
mall kiosk as they are kept in conditions that leave them greatly weakened
and therefore more likely to die.
Bringing Home Your New Crabs
During the length of time they are acclimating, try to handle them as
little as possible and only disturb the tank when refreshing the food and
water. After the recommended time of acclimation, they will seem more
relaxed and happy. They appear happiest when they are sitting around
waving their antennae. You can then start to handle them but only do it a
lttile time each day until they are used to it. Some people spend all their
time as crabbers just watching them, while others like to be more hands on.
Whether or not you want to leave them be or handle them is up to you.
When you buy your first crab, the unavoidable decision arises as to
what to keep them in. You may be told by the seller that a small plastic
carrier, or Kritter Keeper, is a suitable solution. It is, sadly, not. A KK is far too
small and cramped to keep even the smallest of crabs in ( unless you have
ones that are as large as a pinhead, which is exceedingly rare ). A much
better solution lies in buying a glass tank. It is highly recommended that you
buy the largest tank you can afford. The more roaming space a crab has the
better. You should, however, avoid getting tanks that are smaller than 10
gallons.
Now onto how to keep the temperature and humidity at the right
levels. In order to keep the tank warm you must have a heating pad or two
attached to your tank walls. You can find them again in the reptile section. It
is recommended that you use a heater that is meant for a tank that is twice
as large as the one you have. This is because of the deep level of substrate
needed. In order to keep the humidity in, which will soon come after
introducing heat to the tank and placing moist substrate in it, you will either
need a glass lid, or a mesh lid with siran wrap covering it completely.
Substrate
The next step in setting up the tank is adding substrate. This is sand or
Eco Earth that is placed on the bottom. You may see other substrates
available but only a small percentage are actually usable. Gravel, woodchips,
and forest bedding are all not acceptable substrates. Hermit crabs can’t
burry into the gravel and woodchips and they can’t hold moisture properly.
Forest bedding can contain pine tree pieces which causes severe irritation in
crustaceans. Calci-sand, more popularly known as Hermit Crab Sand, is a
popular choice, but unfortunately is also unsuitable. It not only stains, but
clumps and hardens when dry, after moistening, and smells strangely musty
when wet and can’t hold moisture properly. The best substrates are play
sand and EE or Eco Earth. Coir is another substrate that can be added to
existing substrate to keep in humidity. Make sure you have the substrate
twice to three times as deep as your largest crab is tall. Also make sure that
the substrate is moist and able to withstand being molded. This is known as
sand castle consistency.
Toys and Hides
When choosing the decorations for your crabs tank, make sure that
they are made out of either a hard durable plastic or a substance that can be
ingested by the crabs without fear of its toxicity. Hermit crabs are veracious
little climbers and explorers and can and will get to almost any and all places
within the tank and or out of it if you don’t have it securely and properly
lidded. They also go about tasting any and every surface they come across
to test its edibleness as they would do in the wild. Remember too, that the
tank is under a constant barrage of moisture from the humidity needed so
anything made of metal should be avoided at all costs.
Make sure that your tank decorations, toys and hides are all sanitized
with a dip in hot salt water before you put them into the tank. This is just a
precautionary measure. It helps to wash off any harmfull residue, mold
spores, and bacteria. You may also want to have extra decorations, toys and
hides available to switch out with the current ones in your tank. This keeps
the atmosphere in there fresh, new and exciting for the hermit crabs.
Isolation
Its important to have an isolation tank for emergencies. You never
know when a crab will become injured, sick, or just need time to themselves.
An isolation tank should consist of the same things the main tank has- toys
and hides, nice deep, moistened substrate, salt and fresh water pools ( I’ll
get to water types in a bit ) and of course heat and humidity. This is usually
kept on a smaller scale than the main tank, but it is up to you how you want
it to be.
Some people like to isolate new residents to their hermit crab colonies
that they have either purchased from the store or adopted from another
person. This is a preventive measure just in case the new hermit crabs may
be carrying any diseases or mites. Yes, hermit crabs can be ridden with a
small pest known as a mite. It usually lodges itself into any crevice it can and
feeds off of its host, the hermit crab. It is of course harmful and suggested
that a bath in dechlorinated salt water every few days be taken for the
hermit crab to remedy the situation. More info on hermit crab diseases and
pests can be found via the Hermit Crab Association Forums. I will provide a
link later on.
Part 5: Shells
When a hermit crab finds a shell it likes, it sticks its larger pincher into
the opening to gage the size and shape of the shell. If the shell is of a
suitable size and shape then the crab will release it’s grip on the shell it is
currently wearing and quickly insert it’s abdomen into the new shell and
latch into it. It will then remain holding its old shell as it “tests” the new one
out for a while. If it likes the new shell it will then scurry off and leave the old
one behind. If it does not like the new one it will quickly change back. For the
soul reason of the need to keep changing shells. A variety of shells should be
provided to your hermit crabs in the tank.
There are a great variety of shells that can be given to your hermit
crabs. Some are colorful and some are unusually shaped. There are,
however, some types of shells that should never be given to a hermit crab or
never used in shelling one. A perfect example of this is the ever popular, but
badly misused and highly dangerous painted shell. It may look very inviting
with its bright, cheery colors and fun cartoon character faces and designs but
be wary, these shells are a death trap in disguise.
Some hermit crabs are actually chosen to have their shells painted
while wearing them and can be, in fact, “glued” into the shell via the very
paint applied. They then can’t move in and out of their shell as needed and
in the worst case scenario, are stuck while withdrawn into their shell and
can’t come out to eat or drink. They can’t even come out to walk around.
They are stuck in their shell like a prisoner. In cases like these, drastic
measures are needed to ensure that the hermit crab will be able to come in
and out of their shells. This includes chipping away at the shell and paint
with cuticle trimmers until the crab is “freed” from its painted prison.
If the crab is lucky enough not to have died while being put into a
painted shell, or it hasn’t been painted into one and therefore stuck, it will
have to live with a burdensome shell whose paint will eventually chip away,
despite being repeatedly told by the manufacture that it won’t, and look
awful and in disrepair. If this isn’t bad enough, the paint chips will be
discovered by the hermit crab and ingested by them, as they test it to see if
its edible or not. Of course these paint chips aren’t edible and will harm the
crabs and, in large enough quantities, kill them, due to their toxicity. This is
again despite manufacturers claiming that the paint is non-toxic. Though it
may be non-toxic to a fifty-some pound human child, it will be toxic to a
considerably smaller crustacean. The sad thing about this whole painted
shell industry is that, because of their popularity among the younger crowd,
they will always be used and therefore the hermit crabs will be abused. You
can however, help to stop this by refusing to by them and hopefully enough
people boycotting them will stop their being used and manufactured. Also
educating the sellers of the hermit crabs if you can is a big help as well.
Dyed shells, artificial shells and glow in the dark shells are also on the
market as viable hermit crab homes. These are most likely not a good choice
as they all contain toxic chemicals within the shells that can leech into the
hermit crab’s soft, vulnerable abdomen and there fore get into their
bloodstream and kill them from within. When choosing the right shells for
your hermit crabs it is best just to stick with all natural or polished shells.
Even shells that have nice carvings in them can be used. Just make sure that
the shell can withstand the everyday wear and tear the hermit crab will put it
through when wearing it.
Types
Size Selection
A hermit crab, like any other animal needs to have food and water
available to it on a regular basis. I usually have the food out all the time and
refresh it every one to two days. Some people only keep food in the tank
over night, some for a few hours. It all depends on what you and your hermit
crabs are like. Water should be available at all times and should be given as
both salt and fresh water. I will, as I have said before, get into further detail
with it in a moment.
Water
It is now time to discuss the water needs of your hermit crabs. Hermit
crabs will need to have access to both fresh and salt water. It is important to
add water conditioner to remove any heavy metals and chlorine and
chloramines from your water if there is any in it. Most city water will contain
the afore mentioned items. Well water most likely won’t, but will have other
things in it that may be harmful. If you want to play it safe, or you don’t
have access to water conditioner ( it can be found in any fish section of any
pet store for about 3 or so dollars ) you can use bottled water. This,
however, can be costly and the amount of the discarded plastic bottles will
add up. Some people have then turned to using distilled water. This has been
a controversial topic as distilled water can be more acidic than tap water and
lack the essential vitamins and nutrients that tap water can provide, being
that distilled water is water in its purest state. Nothing more than Hydrogen
and Oxygen combined. Whatever water you will use is up to you. I would
recommend treating the water with the afore mentioned water conditioner
and providing the crabs with that.
For salt water, use only marine grade salt water. You can find marine
grade salt water mix in any pet store, in the fish section. Using anything else
is not recommended. Table salt is discouraged because it contains iodine,
which is toxic to hermit crabs. Using human grade Sea Salt found in the
grocery store is also discouraged because it most likely contains an anti
clumping agent which is harmful to crabs. There is, available at most major
pet stores, a brand of salt and fresh water specifically designed to be sold for
hermit crab use. This is not recommended as the salt water mix does not
contain a high enough level of salt and minerals and the fresh water
treatment contains a blue dye which is questionable at best. For my crabs I
use API Tap Water Conditioner in my city water for fresh water and I add
Oceanic Sea Salt Mix to the water for my salt water. You can also use Instant
Ocean and API Salt Water Mix for making your salt water as well. Just make
sure that your salt water mix has been treated for heavy metals and
chlorines and chloramines.
“A happy hermit crab is a well fed hermit crab” or so the saying goes.
Hermit crabs are omnivorous, which means they can eat pretty much
anything out of the five major food groups. These food groups are: Fruits
( citrus included ), Veggies, Meats and Protiens, Grains, Berries, and Fats.
You can find things from these food groups lying around your kitchen. Just
make sure that they haven’t been treated with any harsh chemicals or
contain preservitives. That would include the prepackaged, all in one, bottled
and labled as “Hermit Crab Food” type items. They contain an unnaturally
high amount of preservitives and chemicals that are not at all good for
feeding your hermit crabs. All natural, organic foods are the way to go. If you
want a list of foods that you can feed your hermit crab, please go to
http://www.epicurean-hermit.com/index.php?board=21.0 for further
information.
Along with the safe food list in the link provided in the previous
section, you will find that there is a list of things that you cannot feed your
crabs. Things like toxic plants and flowers found around the house and
garden. Also be wary of feeding them foods that are highly processed and
full of sugars and fats.