OMG What happened to my hermie?!

Questions about unexpected problems.
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Spedane
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OMG What happened to my hermie?!

Post by Spedane »

I just came home from work this evening and found one of my 4 hermies....I don't know how to explain it....all his legs and claws just...well..fell off! It looks as though he was just walking along the sand and something came directly down on him and crushed him snapping off all his limbs. I've never seen anything like it! There is nothing that fell on him nor is there anything in the tank that would be heavy enough to do this if it did. If I didn't live alone, I would suspect foul play! Seriously, I'm at a loss. I have no idea what this is. Do they just loose limbs like this? I don't think so. My other crabs are FAR from aggressive. They have always gotten along well together and are all healthy. I haven't touched him yet, I ran straight to the forum to seek advise before I do anything since I'm still a newbie. But the 2 years I've had crabs, I have never seen this before nor did I expect it. Does anyone know what is happening? I feel soooo bad for him as I take very good care of all my pets.....
Jaci
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Post by Jaci »

Is your crab able to move? Do you know when the last time he moulted was? What you might try is put him in isolation if you notice he's having problems moving around. Make sure that it's humid and dark. I don't know if it always happens, but the first crab that I lost, lost his big claw and 2 legs. He passed away soon after. I'd keep a close eye on him. I'm a newbie also, but I hope that this helps! Good Luck!
senorcrab01
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OMG What happened to my hermie?!

Post by senorcrab01 »

Please don't get offended or angry. I"m not accussing of anything, but the most likely reason your crab lost it's limbs is due to stress. Theres alot of things that can stress these little guys out and when it happens they could start dropping limbs. You may want to take a look at the lost limbs section of crab care in the menu. I hope this helps and I hope everything turns out ok for your little friend.
Spedane
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No offense taken - really!

Post by Spedane »

Thank you both for your advise. I'm not sure if he's alive or dead but his body is still in his shell and I'm moving him into isolation right away. I will have to observe him closely before I assume the worst. I haven't noticed any movement yet but I will keep an eye on him for the next day or so before disposing of him.

If he is still alive, can he survive without his limbs?? Do they grow back? How long will this take? I will most definitely read more on this subject on the website.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this and if so and your hermie survived, how did you care for it to get it back to health?
senorcrab01
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OMG What happened to my hermie?!

Post by senorcrab01 »

Well sorry to tell you but, if all its limbs came off and it has no way to move around it won't live, if it's not dead already. This happened to one of my crabs when I first started crabbing and soon after (maybe an hour) it died. You can tell its dead if it falls out of it's shell when you pick it up. like I said before though I hope everything turns out ok. It always feels a bit crappy when one of our little friends dies.
Jaci
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Post by Jaci »

I'm going to have to agree with senorcrab01 on that. If all of his limbs have fallen off, his chances aren't very good. I'm so sorry Spedane. :'( Hermies won't live very long with all of their limbs gone simply because they won't be able to feed or drink. If only one leg had fallen off, then it will grow back after he moults, which is why I asked if you knew when he was going to moult again. I purchased a hermit crab book from Petco and it's really helped me in raising my 3 hermies. This website has helped tremendously also. I hope everything is ok, keep us updated.
Spedane
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He didn't make it

Post by Spedane »

Unfortunately, he did not make it. :( I am trying so hard to figure out why this has happened. There has been no change to his environment and although I have plenty of shells scattered throughout the tank, the only thing I can think of is that I finally witnessed the effects of a shell fight. Who knew! All my hermies have gotten along so well for so long. After speaking with someone who knows these crabs well, this may have been the reason. I'm not 100% sure but with no changes or illness in their home for over a year, I'm beginning to think it may be true.

Sigh.

I thank you all for all your advise. I genuinely enjoy reading the posts on this site as it is the only forum I find to be truly informative.

Thanks again.
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