Basic Info:

Land Hermit Crabs (COENOBITA CLYPEATUS) are fascinating animals. They make great pets because they don't carry any disease. They are also hypo-allergenic, perfect as a 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. You only need to can rinse and dry the gravel in their cage once a month for cleaning. In the wild Land Hermit Crabs live inland away from the water. Land Hermit crabs are not aggressive like many of the sea crabs. However, in the unlikely event that a crab grabs your skin, the crab will release immediately upon contact with hot water. Simply place the pincher under warm water and the crab instinctively release. Hermit crabs are nocturnal. They move around more at night than during the day. Hermit Crabs are not solitary animals, it is suggested to have more than one; since there animals are very social.

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 since those 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, hot or salty foods. It is best that our commercial hermit Crab food (FMR) be purchased to insure a proper diet that gives them all the vitamins and minerals they need. Our Food does not need to be changed daily. 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. This allows them to mimic the behaviors that they would exhibit in the wild.

The cage should not be kept in direct sunlight. They are happy in temperatures between 70-80degrees, and they prefer humidity. A sea sponge will help increase the humidity in the cage. If your home temperature is lower than 65 degrees then place a heating patch in the cage. Do not use a heat lamp because it can dehydrate crabs. They can live without food for weeks, 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 in their cage, because that can cause bacteria. You can also bathe (less than 2 minutes) or mist these little friends outside of the cage. Hermit crabs will enjoy their shower. But make sure they are dry before returning them to their cage.

Pacific/Ecuadorian Crab
(COENOBITA COMPRESSUS)

Hermit Crabs like all other Crabs 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 that is approximately 30% bigger than the one they have now. If you set the shells in their cage, they will move in to it 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. 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 strong odor, your hermit crab is probably molting. Hermit Crabs have the ability to grow back any missing part through a process called molting. 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