Being friendly, hermit crabs may be great family companions. Land-dwelling hermit crabs seek refuge in empty shells and it may be your company for many years if you take good care of them. Alaskan king crabs and porcelain crabs are two examples of hermit crab species that have reverted to their free-living ways after evolving from hermit crabs. In order to fit into their shell homes, the more than 500 species of hermit crabs that exist worldwide have developed unique body form. Their abdomens are twisted to fit the spiral hollow of the snail shells in which they live, and they are clothed in a thin, soft exoskeleton rather than a hard one like free-living crabs. It is critical that you have everything you need to get your new hermit crab home securely. Food and a safe, warm enclosure are the most crucial components.
Hermit crabs – Everything You Need to Know
Hermit crabs inhabit empty sea snail shells, especially those of periwinkles and whelks. They may be found 150 meters below the surface and on rocky shorelines. As opportunistic scavengers, hermit crabs consume whatever they may come upon. its delicate body, which they coil up within its borrowed shell with the aid of their hooked tail for grip, is accompanied by robust pincers. Hermit crabs crawl into ever-larger shells as they get bigger. The biggest of numerous kinds of very similar hermit crabs, the common hermit crab is frequently found in rockpools. Their right pincer is bigger than the left, and their body is reddish brown. They are often found in whelk or periwinkle shells.
What causes a hermit crab to change its shell?
A hermit crab, which lacks a protective exoskeleton, temporarily seeks refuge in a mollusc’s shell before having to locate a number of larger homes as it matures. It can be challenging to find a shell that is precisely the proper size, which can lead to strange house-swap sequences. A crab will wait close by until another crab searching for a new shell shows up if it finds one that is too small. First crab moves into the newly freed shell when that crab sheds its old one and accepts it, followed by a smaller crab that adopts it, and so on. Each crab’s life cycle involves a different number of house-swaps based on environment, water temperature, and habitat.
Key Facts about Hermit Crab
According to a new research by scientists, most terrestrial hermit crab species throughout the world have used rubbish as shells.
- Hermit crabs are small crustaceans that need to “borrow” a shell from another animal because they do not have their own.
- They partially enclose and protect their bodies by using hollow items, such as empty snail shells (like whelk or periwinkle), as a shelter.
- Habitat: Found around the world, hermit crabs live in coastal environments with sandy or muddy bottoms, as well as occasionally on land and in trees.
- Their maximum length is six inches.
- It has five pairs of legs and two sets of antennae.
- As opportunistic scavengers, they consume whatever they come across.
- They use their hooked tail to help them hold their borrowed shell, and their soft body, which has strong pincers, is coiled within.
- As they mature, their shells alter and they molt, or lose their skin.
- Hermit crabs, in spite of their name, are social creatures that can live in groups or couples and their lifespan is ten years.
How to Care for a Hermit Crab?
- Give them hermit crabs food: It is suggested that you feed your pets at night as hermit crabs in the wild only eat at night. Make sure their food is well-balanced. You could want to soften them with water if they are not eating pelleted food. Add fruits and leafy greens like kale to your hermit crab’s diet. They eat slowly and in tiny portions, but in the morning, you should take out any leftovers. Finally, always ensure that their water is pure, fresh, and devoid of chlorine.
- Socializing hermit crabs: Being gregarious, hermit crabs like to dwell in big communities. Therefore, if they are left alone for an extended period of time, they may become lonely. Getting many crabs is one way to avoid loneliness. If you decide to add a hermit crab or two to an existing tank, be on the lookout for any fights.
- Hermit crabs are cleaned: If you allow your crabs to bathe in a bowl of conditioned freshwater and saltwater, they will clean themselves. Maintaining a marine sponge in the aquarium also keeps them cleaner since it raises the humidity level.
- Normal molting behavior: Hermit crabs molt or lose their outer skin approximately twice a year. During molting, hermit crabs become less active. While they will not eat much, they will consume a lot of water. Their new skin takes many weeks to solidify, and this procedure is typical. Keep the pets away from you at this time. Additionally, because the shed skin is a good source of calcium, hermit crabs typically eat it; do not remove it from the tank.
- Signs of a health problem: Stress and poisoning are the two main health issues that pet hermit crabs face. A crab under stress may slow down, become inactive, and may spend a lot of time outside its shell. Bullying, extremely high or low temperatures, loneliness, and crowding can all cause stress in hermit crabs.
