Stealing an unused molting hole?

[NewHermieFam]

My first molting crab just came up yesterday! Yay! Today he explored & was eating. I also saw one of my other crabs climb down into his hole-- all the way down and now the top is covered! Do crabs borrow/steal molting holes?
Also, my largest crab was digging toward the top of the hole tonight. Not really digging down but almost seemed to be helping to cover the hole!? Now instead of a mound there, it is pretty smoothed over! Could he be helping to bury her? Could he want to eat her? I hope not! The first molter was left alone, thankfully!
Thanks for any input!

Amanda
New Hermie Mom!

[Wai]

I wouldn't be alarmed by any of the behaviour there and the larger crab is very unlikely to be wanting to eat whoever buried there.

[NewHermieFam]

Thanks! I was happy this morning to see my big guy didn't dig down after our newest molting hermie! It seems to be one of the warmest spots in the tank so I think he likes it there and maybe that is why the crabs are molting there too!
Also, is it common for certain crabs to not pay much attention to one crab, but be almost obsessed with another? My little freshly molted crab is still alive this morning! (YAY!) I just think my big guy (Elliot) has a slight obsession with my little guy (Sabastian)!

Thanks,
Amanda
New Hermie Mom

[emmac350]

Is Sabastian the crab who just molted? A freshly molted crab smells delicious to other crabs and they'll follow the recently-molted crab around to try to steal some of their exo. Watch out to be sure there's no violence between them, but otherwise it's totally normal.

[NewHermieFam]

Yes, Sabastian was freshly molted and that was my fear!! My bigger crab followed him obsessively at first but now everything is normal. I was very nervous that night!!