Hermit Crabs: The Easy to Care for Pet

Have you been looking for a unique, yet low-maintenance pet? Are you tired of dirty dogs jumping up on your clean clothes, or stinking up your house with their sour smell? Maybe you're tired of the odor from cat urine or of changing foul-smelling litter boxes. Do you want to strangle that little yapping dog that's been keeping you awake all night? If you've been experiencing these common pet problems, perhaps hermit crabs may take your pet blues away.

Hermit crabs are simple to care for, require very little food, won't make any mess, and you can still cuddle up with them at night to keep you toasty warm - well, maybe that last statement is not entirely correct. They are also totally clean, disease-free, intelligent, and friendly - although when resources such as shells and food are scarce, they can be quite aggressive toward one another and will fight frequently.

According to Petplace.com, there are approximately 800 different species of hermit crabs found around the world in different locations. The most common type of hermit crab, which are used as pets, are the Ecuadorian crab and the Purple Claw crab. In spite of their name, hermit crabs are actually quite social creatures and prefer living in large groups with other "hermies," so when you go to purchase yours you should get more than one so they can be happy together.

The first thing you will need for hermit crabs is a proper habitat (or 'crabitat' as they are known). A small aquarium will suffice, with the bedding being some type of sand. If you buy your sand separately from the habitat, it's a good idea to heat it up in the oven to kill any germs or bacteria that is secretly embedded within. Be sure to let the sand cool adequately before placing your hermit crabs on it so you don't fry them to a crisp. Hermit crabs also like to hide, so give them a few little caves and other hiding places in the aquarium. Pieces of wood and other obstacles for climbing over are good, but refrain from putting in any plants. Make sure your aquarium also has a good lid with plenty of holes for air - hermies love to climb so much they can get out of the aquarium if it doesn't have a secure lid.

Next thing you will need is a proper amount of heat. Hermit crabs need heat and humidity to survive, and they will live most comfortably in temperatures of around 70 to 74 degrees, with a humidity level in the range of about 50 to 70 percent.

Hermit crabs also need a good water supply. Most people use shallow shells of some sort and fill them up with water. A moistened sponge can also be placed in the shell to increase humidity. WARNING: do not give hermit crabs water out of the tap since it has too many additives and chemicals, such as chlorine! You will have to give them distilled water. If you use a shell as a water container, it should be low enough so the crabs can navigate in and out with no problems. Occasionally you will see your hermit crabs sitting at the very top of the sponge, getting themselves a little drink. Water is also important to your crabs for bathing. Every few days it's important to dip your hermies in some room temperature water since they always carry a tiny amount of moisture inside their shells. To stay healthy, their modified gills and abdomen must stay moist at all times.

Where do their shells come from? Did the hermit crab make it themselves? Nope, hermit crabs carry around seashells that were discarded by mollusks and various sea snails, using them as protection and as a portable home, which is how hermit crabs got their name - by residing in a discarded shell, some saw it as being similar to a hermit living in a cave. Changing shells is also a necessity for hermies as they grow and take on more size, which they do through a moulting process. Because discarded shells can be scarce in some parts of the world, hermit crabs sometimes have to fight for the best ones. (A fun fact not directly related to hermit crabs is that other types of marine crabs have sea anemones living on their shells, which can deter potential enemies; the sea anemones also consume meal fragments from the crabs, which establishes a sort of symbiotic relationship.) Giving your crabs a choice of shells to choose from is also a good idea. Simply scatter some extra shells around the crabitat. Although hermies don't grow too rapidly, they still like to have a wide choice of shells. Pet hermit crabs rarely grow beyond the size of a peach, while other species can get as large as a coconut, and some even larger (since they can live to be 20 or 30 years old - sometimes even up to 80!).

What do hermit crabs eat? According to hermit-crabs.com, in their natural habitat they rely on fruit, leaves, plants, old wood, and items washed up on the beach, among other things. They are definitely not picky eaters by any means. Although scientists are still not sure what hermit crabs require in terms of proper nutrition, they know they need calcium, antioxidants, and carotene. When hermit crabs eat things like carrots, which contain a lot of carotene, their bodies will turn an orangish red color, which means they are healthy.

Hermit crabs can also eat human food, so long as it isn't too sugary or highly-processed. Meat, rice, vegetables, fish, nuts, oatmeal, fruits, raisins, peanut butter, freeze-dried shrimp, flaky fish food, escargot, even leaves and bark, hermit crabs will enjoy all of these foods - but stay away from dairy products. And make sure to not give your hermies anything with pesticides.

To feed a large amount of crabs at one time, if you have say more than ten, it's good to get a discarded fish head from a fish market (usually for free) and put it in a container with all of your crabs and let them feast for two or three hours. They will love it. You can also give crabs worm castings, which are very rich in nutrients, so you may want to start a small worm farm to help your hermies stay healthy. Of course you can buy pre-made hermit crab food, the most common of which is the FRI brand. Be sure to put in fresh food for your crabs daily, and take it out after 24 hours or so to make sure it doesn't spoil and cause a bad odor. Hermit crabs eat slowly and very small amounts, so it may appear that they aren't eating anything at all. But don't worry, they are.

Did you know that hermit crabs can talk to each other? The speak by making chirping sounds and also squealing. No one knows how the sounds are generated, but if you find the chirps getting intensely loud, you may have a shell fight on your hands! Watch it closely as they can be quite entertaining.

It's important to take your hermit crabs out of their aquariums daily for some exercise (especially if you have a small aquarium) since they love attention. When you take them out, let them crawl around on your shirt or walk across your hands. But be careful, because they will pinch you. They will hold on for a long time and the best thing to do is stay as still as possible with your hand close to the floor, or inside their aquarium, so they will calm down and let go of you. Their largest long pincher is strong and capable of breaking the skin. Also let them walk across the floor and stretch their legs. When you take them out, they will soon be walking rapidly to a corner to hide.

There are many nice web sites that sell hermit crabs and additional supplies. CrabIsland.com, for example sells hand-painted shells, food and treats, sponges, habitats, feeders, etc. that will keep your hermit crab healthy and in a good mood for days.

If you've never seen your hermit crab changing shells, or engaging in a fight with another crab, and if you don't think you'll ever be able to catch them doing so, just type 'hermit crab' into youtube.com and watch some fascinating video footage!

Sources:

The Hermit Crab, PetPlace.com, http://www.petplace.com/reptiles/unusual-pets-the-hermit-crab/page1.aspx

Hermit Crab, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit_crab

http://www.hermit-crabs.com/

http://hermitcrabs.com/