The comfort zone for hermit crabs is 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit; that is when they are most active and healthy. If the temperature drops to between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, dormancy and hibernation will occur. A long hibernation may permanently affect the hermit crab. When you lower household temperatures with air-conditioning or energy-saving winter thermostat settings, heat the hermit crabs' habitat with a light or a special heater that warms the bottom medium.Back to Top

You will never know how interesting hermit crabs are unless you actually adopt one. Do not be fooled by signs or caresheets you see that say hermit crabs do not require much attention and are low maintenance. Although some people may be convinced, there's no point in adopting a hermit crab if you do not treat it like a living thing.

Land-based (or terrestrial) hermit crabs are of the family Coenobitidae. In some parts of the world they are also known as tree crabs as some like to live in and can be found climbing trees. In the wild, they can live for many months out of water but usually return to the shore quite regularly to wet themselves, change shells and release larvae from hatching eggs. Land hermit crabs are arthropods of the order Decapoda and Infraorder Anomura.

Yes. If you can meet the humidity, temperature, salinity and shell needs for each species, then you can keep different species of hermit crabs in the one crabitat. Land hermit crabs are found in varying habitats so it is best to research where the species you keep are found in the wild, what foods they like to eat, and the temperature and humidity they are accustomed to.

To sex your land hermit crabs you will need to look for sexual openings, known as gonopores. The gonopores are present on the second pair of legs in a female land hermit crab, and on the fourth legs of a male land hermit crab.

The shells suitable for hermit crabs have round or oval entries with smooth interior and without cracks or holes. Popular shells include Babylonia, Fox, Moon Snail Shells, Nertie, Phasianella, Turbo petholatus, Tunna, Thais and Trochus. Are You Ready? Essentials Housing Substrates Temperature Humidity Heating Lighting Temperature Control Fresh Water Ocean Water Bathing Stress Coat Shells Food Calcium Protein Moulting Inactivity Mites Tank Maintenance Print this page

Hermit crab may leave its shell for many reasons - the important thing is to get the animal back in it. First, you must boil the empty shell and rinse it with cool water. Then, fill the clean shell with cool water. Finally, dip the naked crab in water and gently push it into the shell, abdomen first. You can threaten it in further by tapping lightly on its head so it will quickly draw back into its shell.

Despite their name, hermit crabs are actually very social, community oriented creatures and are rarely aggressive. It is perfectly all right to have various sizes of hermit crabs living together. The larger ones won't pick on the smaller ones. Any aggressiveness has to do with a fight over a favored shell rather than territory. Providing a large enough habitat with plenty of extra shells for playful switching and growing into should reduce fighting.

Although not usual, parasites can sometimes invade the hermit crab and its environment. If you notice parasites on the crab's body, follow these steps to eliminate them. First, break down the entire tank and discard the bottom medium. Thoroughly clean and rinse the tank itself. Boil all other objects in the habitat, including extra shells, food and water dishes, and climbing items like coral , rock and wood. Rinse the items and allow to air dry.

While a hermit crab can live alone, they do fare much better if they're kept at least in pairs. In the wild, hermit crabs gather in large numbers, and they do appear to engage in at leat some basic social activity when kept together in captivity.

Hermit crabs find food largely by smell, so they tend to find smelly foods faster than other foods. Since they smell with their antennas, you'll often see a hermit crab checking out food antennae first. Usually then they will use their larger claw to break off pieces or hold chunks of food and their smaller claw to bring pieces to their mouth parts.

A hermit is a person who lives apart from society. Traditionally, this has meant living alone and self-sufficiently, but not always. The word "hermit" is derived from the Greek eremia for "desert," in reference to the Desert Fathers of the fourth century; and eremos came to mean solitary. The Latin equivalent is solitarius.

Hermit crabs are nocturnal creatures and are more active at night than during the daytime. By adjusting the temperature in their cage between 75 and 85 degrees, or even bathing or misting them with water in order to create a more humid in their shell, it is likely to increase their activity during the daytime. Get your crab a few friends. Hermit Crabs are not solitary animals. It is suggested to have more than one, since these animals are very social.

The average life span of a hermit crab is five to fifteen years, but they have been known to live for more than 40 years.

Plastic tanks are recommended only for transportation, temporary accommodation or as a play pen during handling. If you must use a plastic tank purchase an under tank heater specially made for plastic tanks and cover the vented lid with saran wrap, allowing for a small amount of ventilation. Wire cages are NOT suitable, nor are cardboard boxes or other enclosures that hermit crabs can climb out of.

Although not scientifically conclusive, hermit crab keepers have widely held assumptions when determining the age and sex of land hermit crabs. The little teeth on the larger claw seem to imply age. The more teeth, the older the hermit crab. Of course, size is another factor. Jumbo hermit crabs (softball size and larger) are estimated to be between 15 and 50 years old. Many believe the presence or absence of long hair along one side of the abdomen determines the animal's sex.

crabstreetjournal.com has a section filled with recipes for staple foods as well as recipes for supplimental foods. You may have to register to access this feature.

Hermit crabs will almost always change color, at least a little, throughout the course of their lifetime. Hermit crab coloration is determined by species, nutrition, and genetics. The most dramatic and long lasting hermit crab color changes are caused by long term nutrition. For more information, see the section of crabzilla.net that talks about color enhancing foods.

Under most circumstances, I would recommend waiting. Eventually the hermit crab will move/let go. However, sometimes waiting is not an option - for instance if the something the hermit crab is holding onto happens to be a finger! In cases where you just can't wait for your hermit crab to let go of something of its own accord, the best way to try to get it to let go is to slowly pour some lukewarm water on the claw, making sure the crab is on a steady surface so it feels safe if possible.

The temperature of the crabitat should range from 21°C (70°F) to 29°C (70°F), and the humidity ranging from 70% and 80%. It's safest to keep the temperature and humidity somewhere in the middle of the ranges. If the temperature and humidty fall outside the range (below or over), your hermit crabs are likely to start experiencing stress, and if not corrected, they may become inactive and ultimately, die.

Ideally, the temperature should be between 50-90 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, it is recommended that the dew point temperature be at least 5 degrees below the air temperature. Cabot PRO.V.T. Solid Color Acrylic Stain is formulated for application at low temperatures. This product can be applied at temperatures as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Dew is water droplets condensed from the air, usually at night or early morning, onto cool surfaces.

A good rule of thumb is two crabs per one-gallon tank. The larger the habitat, the happier the residents.Back to Top

There are many different reasons why this may occur. 1) The shell may have become dirty, causing the crab to feel itchy and irritated. In this instance the crab will permanently abandon the shell. 2) There may be a crack or some loose debris inside of his shell, causing him to feel uncomfortable and leave the shell. 3) Your crab may be unable to hold the shell onto his abdomen due to dry body.

A one gallon cage is sufficient for up to two crabs. Remember these are living creatures and would like space to roam around in. You should also provide plenty of obstacles for them to play on, such as gravels or pieces of wood.