Basic Info:

Land Hermit Crabs (COENOBITA CLYPEATUS) are fascinating animals. They make great pets because they do not carry any known disease and are hypo-allergenic, which makes them a perfect pet for those with allergies. Land Hermit Crabs are very low maintenance and are easy to take care of. They do not require large amounts of space, and unlike other pets, are odorless. In the wild Land Hermit Crabs live inland away from the water. Land Hermit crabs are also non-aggressive, unlike many of the sea crabs. However, in the unlikely event that a crab grabs your skin, the crab will release immediately upon contact with warm water. Simply place the pincher under warm water (make sure it's not hot) and the crab will instinctively release. Hermit crabs are nocturnal and are more active at night than during the day. Hermit Crabs are not solitary animals and it is suggested to have more than one because of their social nature. In fact, in the wild we see crabs move from one area to another as a group. Some natives even refer to them as "soldier crabs" due to their habit of "trooping" in numbers.

You may feed your Land Hermit Crab various kinds of fruits and vegetables (pieces of lettuce, grapes, bananas, etc). But these should be removed the next day because they are perishable. They also enjoy various other foods such as dry cereal, peanut butter, popcorn, and crackers. Please do not feed them any extremely sugary spicy or hot foods. If desired, commercial Hermit Crab food can be purchased to insure a proper diet that gives them all the vitamins and minerals they need. But be aware that some commercial foods contain fish that have an odor that could make your crab smell. Give them a pinch three times a week. Also it is a good idea to leave them without any food 1 or 2 days a week so they can consume food they hide in the gravel or sand. This allows them to mimic the behaviors that they would exhibit in the wild.

Their cage should not be kept in direct sunlight. They are happy in temperatures between 70-80 degrees, and they prefer humidity. Placing a sea sponge in the cage will help to increase the humidity. Also putting plastic wrap before you put a lid on the top will help to keep more humidity in their cage. Just make sure to add little holes in the middle of this wrap. If your home temperature is lower than 65 degrees, you will need to place a heating pad underneath the cage. Do not use a heat lamp because it can dehydrate your crab. They can live without food for weeks, even months, but they need a constant supply of fresh water. "Bottled water" or de-chlorinated water is highly recommended. If you have Ecuadorian land hermit crabs, they will require some salt (non-iodized table salt is fine) in their water. You should also make sure not to allow water to remain under the gravel or sand in their cage, because that can cause bacteria or mites. You can also bathe (less than 10 minutes) or mist these little guys outside of the cage. Hermit crabs will enjoy their shower, but make sure they are dry before returning them to their cage after their bath.

Pacific/Ecuadorian Crab
(COENOBITA COMPRESSUS)

Hermit Crabs like all other crustacean have an exoskeleton. This hard exoskeleton only covers the front portion of the body. The tail is very soft and must be protected inside of the shell. When their home gets too small or dirty they will go searching for a new one. At that time you should provide them with a few new shells. If you are not sure when they need a shell, give them a shell available in their cage, approximately 10-15% bigger than ones they have. If you set the shells in their cage, they will move in to them by themselves when they are ready. It can also be a great toy for them, even if they don't move to new shells right away.

From time to time your Crab must shed its exoskeleton in order to grow. Hermit Crabs have the ability to grow back any missing part through a process called molting. They may stop moving altogether for a week to even a few weeks. This is why a lot of hermit crab owners think that their crab is dying/dead. If there is no fish odor, your hermit crab is probably molting. It's pretty hard to predict when your hermit crab is going to molt as a new crab owner. The signs of molting crab are 1. moving more than usuall then suddenly stop moving 2. Their skin Become lighter. 3.Crabs are not being able to hold body tight. 4.crabs may bury themselves. The best way to help them to finish molting safely is placing them in a "molting cage". So isolate them from other crab possibly try to eat molting exoskelton become eatable. The molting cage has to be provided with sand wet on the four corners then place the crab on the center half way into the sand. The cage doesn't has to be big just enough to fit crab, water, and feeding dish. You might provide sand at least twice deeper than molting crab. A flatshell feeder is ideal as food dish. You can offer the hermit crab with calcium by putting crushed cuttlebone or eggshell. If a Hermit Crab looses a leg, claw or even an eye, it can grow it back when it molts again. Since they lose 90% of their calcium when they shed their exoskeleton, they will eat their old exoskeleton to regain it.

Discarded exoskeleton and new body of the crab inside the shell