Pet Land Hermit Crabs
Land Hermit Crabs are good to be kept as pet, but they require special care. The strict controls of the temperature and humidity are a must. So it becomes a necessity to have information about hermit crabs in general, land hermit crabs and some key information of the species before you get yourself one as a pet.
The Caribbean hermit crabs are generally the pet land hermit crabs. These are more commonly known as Purple Pinchers and can live for around 30 years or a few more years. They like a condition where the relative humidity is between 70 to 80 percent and the temperature is around 24 degree on the Celsius scale. Apart from these, for the maintenance of a good health they need good lighting, clean air, good diet, chorine free water and sea water.
About the Hermit Crab Shells
The bodies of the hermit crabs are fragile and for this reason they use marine snail shells as their homes. The shell is as important as food for a hermit crab. The size of the shell needed varies with time as they grow.
When it comes to providing the crabs shells, they must have options so that they can get the one they find most suitable. The size of the shells should be of the current size, a little bit large and a little bit small. The hermit crabs are more likely to choose the shells which are smooth from inside. In case the choices provided are not good in number and does not suit the need, there can be a fight for acquiring a shell already being worn. This fight can be death leading as the crab wearing a shell would prefer to die fighting than to abandon it. So a wide range of shells is to be provided. Moreover, only the shell knows which size would be fit for it as the abdomen is shaped by the previous shell.
For long period of survival, they also require three other important things which are social interaction, an environment for molting and high relative humidity. A short description of these would be beneficial here.
Social needs
Hermit crabs are social animals. They live in groups where the number can be even more than 100. In the wild, they would hardly be found as alone. They use chirping sound called stridulation for communicating with one another at times. They can be easily stressed if kept alone and the resulting effect is serious on their health.
High relative humidity
The hermit crabs breathe using gills and not lungs. If the relative humidity is low, they find it very difficult to breathe and serious damage can occur to their gills. Duration of one hour with humidity is generally present in the household i.e. around 50 percent is not bad, but it can be bad if this is continued for longer durations. To avoid this one, you can try frequent misting with a spray.
Molting
Molting is one process that directly affects the growth of a hermit crab. For a hermit crab this process is in fact a test of its health, and one can find if it is being given a good environment for its survival or not. This also includes the food it eats. Molting is arduous, dangerous and lethal for a crab.
If you are considering to pet land hermit crab, then you have to provide a condition where it can molt properly. The substrate of the tank has to be a material which can be moistened and packed. This is essential as a hermit crab molts in a dark cave. You also need to be careful about the thickness of the substrate. It should be at least two times as deep as the largest crab you have.
Now there are some important things to know. A hermit crab which is to begin the process of molting may appear lifeless and may also go limp. It is advised not to consider them dead until they start smelling fishy. Another thing is not to dig up a hermit crab which has got it buried under the substrate. This can be fatal and lead to disruption of the molting process.
Some other content you might like to look at:
- Beginner Hermit Crab Care
- Hermit Crab Shells
- Signs and Symptoms When Your Hermit Crab Molts
- How to Clean a Hermit Crabs Aquarium
- Making the Hermit Crab Cage a Home
