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November 2008:
"Flower Paradise" |
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| If you are a member of Hermit Crab Paradise, visit the link above to enter the competition. If not, please register first. |
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Survey #023:
What is your second storey made of? |
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| If you are a member of Hermit Crab Paradise, visit the link above to vote. If not, please register first. |
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| Say NO to Crabinacup sold at Walmart! Such humiliation and animal cruelty against hermit crabs must not be tolerated. |
| Say NO to the painted shells sold in many pet stores! Hermit crabs are not toys, nor are their shells. |
| You can help our protest by signing the petitions and joining many other crabbers in the battle for the respect of hermit crabs. |
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| If Hermit Crab Paradise has proven helpful to you, please link back to us! You may use the 90×90 icon above if you wish, but please upload it to your own server. We appreciate your support! |
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| Before selecting a hermit crab you want from a pet store, it's a good idea to check its physical characteristics for any lost or damaged limbs or even eyes. There are still many pet stores out there with shocking hermit crab tank conditions, so encountering stressed-out crabs is not unusual. When hermit crabs are stressed or feel uncomfortable due to extreme temperatures or insufficient humidity, they may drop limbs. Why they choose to drop limbs in response to stress is unknown, but one can usually conclude that it's not a positive thing. For more information on limb loss, please read our Lost Limbs page. |
| The colour of a hermit crab's exoskeleton can also be used as an indication as to how healthy they are. Generally, hermit crabs that have been fed a nutritious diet prior to their last moult will possess a darker coat, such as toasty brown, red, purple or even black, depending on their species. Hermit crabs that have been deprived of essential nutrients prior to their last moult tend to have a "washed-out" pale grey colour. For more information on moulting, please read our Moulting page. |
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| Being classified as crustaceans, yet not true crabs, hermit crabs have ten limbs, two eyes, a soft abdomen and two different pairs of antennae. |
Two claws of different sizes:
The smaller of the two claws is primarily used for feeding and grasping hold of objects such as toys or trees when climbing. The large claw is used as a barrier to shield off enemies when the hermit crab is tucked tighly in its shell. It is also used for climbing. |
Four long legs:
These can be seen when the hermit crab is out and walking around or climbing. The pair immediately after the claws is slightly smaller than the next pair. Of the legs in the larger pair used for walking and climbing is significantly thicker, larger and often a different colour to the other. The hermit crab uses this leg along with its big claw to close off the entrance to its shell when withdrawing. |
Four tiny legs:
These are usually kept inside the shell by the hermit crab and are not used for walking. They can be used to clean the insides of the shell that the hermit crab is wearing. |
Two eyes:
These enable the hermit crab to see its surroundings, much like how we use our eyes. However, the eyes of a hermit crab are better developed than ours to see in the dark. |
Soft abdomen:
Unlike most other crustaceans, the abdomen of a hermit crab is not protected by armour. Hermit crabs wear a shell to protect this vulnerable region of their body and keep it moist. When a hermit crab moults (sheds its exoskeleton), it does not shed its abdomen, so this fact can be used to distinguish between a hollow exoskeleton and the body of a dead hermit crab. |
Four antennae:
One pair is thin and straight, while the other pair is thicker at the base and is bent upwards. These are used as the hermit crab's senses such as sound and touch. Hermit crabs also urinate through their antennae. |
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