Introduction
Land-based (or
terrestrial) hermit crabs are of the family Coenobitidae.
In some parts of the world they are also known as tree crabs
as some like to live in and can be found climbing trees.
In the wild, they can live for many months out of water
but usually return to the shore quite regularly to wet themselves,
change shells and release larvae from hatching eggs. Land
hermit crabs are arthropods of the order Decapoda and Infraorder
Anomura. Hermit Crabs are not true crabs, as their abdomen
is not protected by a calcified armour.
· What
is the difference between land and marine hermit crabs?
All hermit crabs
start out in a marine
environment, however land hermit crabs have
adapted
to live on land rather in the water. Once they complete
the
developmental cycles they will make their way onto
land. Once ashore, land hermit crabs go through a metamorphosis,
developing modified gills that act as lungs to enable
them to breathe air. Once on land, they live in a variety
of environments
including trees, mangroves and areas up to 1-2 miles away
from the shore. Land hermit crabs can drown
if immersed in water, so it is important that you supervise
hermit crabs when bathing
them and provide water
dishes and pools that they can easily get in and
out of.
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Phylum Arthropoda:
Animals with specialized body segments, hardened
exoskeltons, and joined appendages.
Subphylum Diantennata:
Arthropods with a pair of mandbiles that flank the mouth
and at least one set of antennae.
Class Crustacea:
Diantennata with two pairs of antennae and double branched
(biramous) appendages.
Order Decapoda:
Crustacea with five pairs of legs
Infraorder
Anomura: Decapoda, with reduced fifth pair of
thoracic legs and the folded up bases above the
bases of the fourth
pairs of legs.
Family Coenobitidae:
Land (Terrestrial) hermit crabs.
Genus Coenobit
· What
are the advantages of land hermit crabs as pets?
-
They are
hypo-allergenic - If someone in your family has allergies
to fur of any kind then the hermit crab is a wonderful
pet because they not only are they fur-less but they
are clean animals.
-
They are
suitable for apartment, dorm living, bedroom spaces
- this was one of the contributing factors in my purchase
of land hermit crabs over six years ago. Their living
enclosure only takes up a small space
-
They don't
need to be taken for walks - land hermit crabs receive
plenty of exercise from climbing up and down driftwood,
exploring coconut cabanas or digging. A really pampered
hermit crab could be seen tumbling around in an "Exersphere"1
Watching a hermit crab moving around the room inside
an Exersphere or similar is more entertaining than a
good night of TV watching!
-
They don't
need to be house-trained like a dog or cat - they won't
lick at your face first thing in the morning or bark
or scratch to ask to be let out at night.
-
They are
quiet animals - excepting the noise of the shell of
a hermit crab tapping gently against the glass. They
are odor-less unless the tank is unkempt, and they eat
virtually anything!!
-
Hermit crabs
are wonderful pets for children and adults alike - Most
of the members of the Hermies eGroups Community that
I founded are in fact adults. There are many children
in the group but it is the parents that really enjoy
crab watching of a night time, when you see a peak in
activity and typical hermit crab antics of hanging upside-down,
changing shells, climbing driftwood, digging, dancing
against the glass and drinking from the waterdish.
This is just
a brief glimpse into the wonderful world of the land hermit
crab owner and why they make such a wonderful pet. Don't
be fooled, these hardy and curious critters do need a comfy
environment for them to really flourish and stay healthy
and hyperactive, but it's not rocket science, just plain
ol' common sense!
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· What
are the disadvantages of land hermit crabs as pets?
If you live in
a cold environment and you cannot afford to heat the crabitat
then you will find that they will soon die. Hermit Crabs
are cold-blooded creatures which rely on the warmth of the
environment around them. When it is not provided they will
become inactive and if the situation is not corrected they
will ultimately die. Another disadvantage is that the set-up
required may be much more than you were led to believe.
After totalling the expenses of essential items (larger
and multiple glass tanks, substrate, under tank heater/s,
humidity and temperature gauges, protein supplements, calcium
supplements, commercial crab foods, water conditioners,
seashells, sponges, moon glow bulbs,driftwood, hiders, water
dishes, food dishes) and the like you may find your shopping
list in the triple digits. If you are not able to meet the
temperature, humidity, nurtrional and seashell needs then
they will soon become 'crabby' or die, usually due to unsuccessful
moults or stress.
 Are
You Ready For A Land Hermit Crab?
.
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Species
What are the
species of land hermit crabs?
The most
common species kept as pets are:
Aussie
Hermit Crabs (formerly CrazyCrabs) - C. variabilis
Carribeans (formerly PurplePincers) - C. cylpeatus
Calico
Crab (India)
Concave
Land Hermit Crab - C. cavipes
Pacific
Hermit Crabs (formerly Ecuadoreans/E's) - C. compressus
Strawberry
Land Hermit Crab - C. perlatus
Tawny
Land Hermit Crab - C. rugosa
Wrinkled
Land Hermit Crab - C. brevimanu
· Can
different species of hermit crab live together?
Yes. If you can meet the humidity, temperature, salinity and shell needs for each species, then you can keep different species of hermit crabs in the one crabitat. Land hermit crabs are found in varying habitats so it is best to research where the species you keep are found in the wild, what foods they like to eat, and the temperature and humidity they are accustomed to. The Strawberry Land Hermit Crab in particular is found on coral attols and remote islands which are surrounded by water, and have been observed to swim in salt basins provided by their owners, submerging themselves for over twenty minutes on a daily basis. Each species has its preference for seashell types and has been observing a different diet in the wild.
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Age
and Size
· How
long do they live?
· How can you tell how old they are?
'How
old' is an oft asked question and hard to answer.
Lifespan
is similar. They both depend on many factors such as diet,
exercise, moulting frequency, pecking order, species and
availability of seashells. How fast a hermit
crab grows usually depends on what it eats, drinks and how
much it eats and drinks! The growth
cycle of a land hermit crab is based on a process
known as moulting,
which is often triggered by the amount a hermit crab a hermit
crab eats and drinks. The body grows within the hard outer
skeleton.
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· How
big do they get?
Land Hermit Crabs
can grow as big as a cantaloupe in the wild, and up to the
size of a baseball in captivity if they are kept in an optimal
environment with sufficient nutrition, exercise, seashells
and environment. How big a hermit crab will grow is often
dependent on the availability of seashells. It is vital
that you provide as many seashells as possible for your
hermit crab, and to provide exercise and a diet rich in
protein (
spirulina, fish, meat), calcium (spirulina,
cuttlebone, oystershell, tetra baby shrimp, sand dollars,
coral), vitamin c (
spirulina, fresh fruit) and a commercial hermit
crab food (T-Rex
Crab Island, Jurassipet, FMR, Hikari Crab Cuisine
etc).
More
information about age, lifespan and growth rate..
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Gender
and Reproduction
· How
can I tell the gender of my land hermit crab?
To sex your land
hermit crabs you will need to look for
sexual openings, known as gonopores.
The gonopores
are present on the second
pair of legs in a female land hermit crab, and on
the fourth
legs of a male land hermit crab.
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· Will
my land hermit crabs reproduce?
While not impossible,
it is quite rare that land hermit crabs reproduce in captivity.
There has been recordings of the spawning of eggs within
a captive enclosure, however the aquatic larval development
of land hermit crabs requires that the eggs be fed brine
shrimp and spirulina wihtin a set-up which mimics the environment
of a tidal pool. Of those that have successfully raised
land hermit crabs (Stu Cobb in Qld, Australia) and researchers
Alan Harvey and Renae Brodie, only Stu had successfully
raised eggs to juvenile development from crabs that had
chosen to reproduce in captivity. The eggs that were raised
in the laboratory were collected from a hermit crab which
was laden with eggs from the wild. Several hermit crab owners
have reported eggs within their tank from hermit crabs that
they had owned for over a year, which gives hope that with
the correct environment more hermit crabs will reproduce,
and with a little assistance we may be able to captive-rear
land hermit crabs in the near future.
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Housing
· What
should I house my hermit crabs in?
A 10 Gallon glass
tank with lid is the minimum recommended housing. Hermit
Crabs fare better in larger crabitats such as 40 Gallon
tanks or custom made tanks which have a square base, allowing
for more surface area.
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· What
kind of home do not recommend for a land hermit crab?
Plastic tanks
are recommended only for transportation, temporary accommodation
or as a play pen during handling. If you must use a plastic
tank purchase an under tank heater specially made for plastic
tanks and cover the vented lid with saran wrap, allowing
for a small amount of ventilation. Wire cages are NOT suitable,
nor are cardboard boxes or other enclosures that hermit
crabs can climb out of.
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· How
many hermit crabs should I get?
There is no easy
way to answer that question. It depends on several factors,
which will be different for each situation, unless a standard
tank developed with the same items, the same dimensions.
Because this is not the case for the majority of land hermit
crab owners, perhaps we need to revisit the rule of thumb
and bring it into line with the 21st century.
Firstly, let's
look at the Gallon, (or 4 Litres in Aus-speak).
The Gallon is
a volume taking into consideration length, width and height.
Since most crab
tanks are one level, and hermit crabs mainly use the surface
area of a tank, is a 'per Gallon" guideline appropriate?
Unless you use
levels so you are doubling or adding to the surface area
of your tank, the amount of Gallons is not truly relational
to the surface area. You could have a 50 Gallon tank but
the surface area is actually very small because it is a
fish tank, with a tall vertical height for the benefit of
fish, which need it. Perhaps what would be more fitting
is to say 'per square foot' or 'per square metre' so that
we have an idea of how much actual surface area you are
talking about. Then if people have levels, they can measure
the square foot or metre dimensions and get an estimate
as to how many hermit crabs they can keep in that tank.
To be honest,
the best way to work out how many hermit crabs you can fit
within an area is to put all the things you need within
a tank, such as food and water dishes, hiding spots (caves,
coconut huts, etc), greenery, wood items, etc until you
have created a comfortable habitat for your hermit crabs.
Then calculate how many hermit crabs can comfortably exist
in the environment you have created while answering the
following questions:
1. Does every
land hermit crab have an area to go into in order to escape
the stresses of captivity? Many animals need hiding spots
and areas within their habitat so that they can distress
and feel at ease. If you have a tank that includes: substrate,
bowls, dishes, and no barrier from the bright lights and
shadows, there is the chance that they may not be able to
settle into their true behaviour patterns, or ever truly
relax. There should be several hiding spots available so
that each crab has a chance to feel at ease. Imagine yourself
within the tank, and what it would feel like to be out in
the open
2. Is there enough
room in the tank for a moulting-friendly area within the
tank? It is important that there is enough room for each
hermit crab to be able to moult in peace without crowded
tank mates digging them up in order to find their own place
to hunker down and sleep or moult.
3. If you have
a large hermit crab, or even a jumbo, it is important that
they are able to have an area that is Jumbo-friendly, that
is, deep enough substrate for them to bury properly, and
large enough hiding caves and spaces to enable their survival.
4. Is there enough
within the tank to facilitate climbing, play and exercise?
It is important that a section of your tank makes use of
the vertical height available, without lending itself to
'the great escape'. Items like Driftwood, coral, mangrove
root etc are all great to have within a tank, and will a
hit with your hermit crabs. Make sure to place these items
before calculating how many hermit crabs you can fit within
the tank
After you have
considered the above factors, then estimate how many hermit
crabs could comfortably fit within your crabarium, keeping
in mind
a. How many hermit
crabs are moulting at the one time?
b. How many different sizes you have or would like
c. Whether your hermit crabs sleep huddled up together,
or in their own spaces
d. Whether you have a mix of PP's (Carribean, C. clypeatus)
and E's (Pacific, C. compressus)
and have provided for their moulting set-up needs.
· How
Many Crabs Per Gallon?
A simple adaption
of the 'per Gallon' rule would be 'per Gallon divided by
the percentage of vertical height used'. That is, if you
only use the bottom third of the tank, calculate how many
Gallons your tank holds, then divide by 3 to deduce how
many hermit crabs you might comfortably keep within that
crabitat.
One of the reasons
why I am supporting the creation of custom made tanks, is
because land hermit crabs are not fish, and the surface
area needs to be taken into consideration when purchasing
a tank. We have all seen hermit crabs climbing the sides
of their tank like arachnids as they try to make their way
around tank items due to the narrowness of their crabarium.
When I moved
to Tasmania in December 2000, I purchased a 2ft by 1.5ft
crabarium to fit within a nook in my lounge room. Not only
was it cheaper to purchase than a standard 2ft fish tank,
but I was able to fit more items comfortably within the
tank, and just the extra half a foot width helped to make
the crabarium a much happier place for my hermit crabs.
When my fellow
Tasmanian and fellow-crabber Craig saw what a great idea
it was to create a custom-made tank and the cubing effect,
he had a 3ft by 3ft tank built, which gives him 9 square
feet of surface area - 3 times that of my 2ft by 1.5ft tank.
Previously he had purchased a standard 3ft long, the surface
area around a third less for the same amount of money. It
also had a height that makes it difficult to lower and lift
items to or from the tank. It just seems like common sense
to me.
If you cannot
afford a custom made tank, why not ask your local aquarium
if they know of anyone that would create a more 'cubish'
tank or perhaps look into a hexagonal style crabarium which
will have a similar amount of surface area. In the meantime,
try not to buy more hermit crabs just because a rule of
thumb says that you can fit more based on the Gallons in
your tank, but how many you can comfortably keep with the
surface area available.
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· How
important is the temperature within my crabitat?
The temperature
is of upmost importance. The temperature in your hermit
crab's cage should be between 70o F (21oCelsius) ad 80oF
(27oC) The ideal temperature to hover about is 75oF (24oCe).
Try not to let your crab's home fall below 70 degrees for
very long or your crab will become inactive and may perish.
If your crab overheats you may see a brown discharge. This
means that your crabitat enviornment needs to be re-assessed
(see below) and email FMR as the discharge is an indicator
of overheating.
If it is winter
or below 21 degrees in your home and you do not have an
undertank heater or other heat source an alternative action
is to take your hermit crabs out of their crabarium for
some play time and find a warm spot for your crab's tank
to spend time during the day, such as a window sill or a
sunny area outside. Remember to bring it in in once it starts
to get cold. Return your hermit crabs to their crabarium
and the send should be just warm and a lid should be placed
to help trap the warmth in.
If the temperature
falls below 21 degrees frequently, you may need to purchase
a under-tank heatpad (See heating) but be careful that you
do not overheat your crab. If the temperature rises above
27 degrees (80oF) add more substrate (sand or gravel, etc)
and experiment until you have the crabarium temperature
falling within the hermie-friendly range of temperatures.
A 24 hr timer is also a good investment as it will turn
the heater on and off throughout the day. Keeping it on
during the cold hours and turning it off when you set it
to.
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· How
can I keep the temperature where it should be?
Temperature within
your crabarium should be monitored on an ongoing basis.
I suggest you purchase an adhesive temperature strip (see
heating ) which should be placed along the bottom of the
crabarium, parallel with the bottom of the tank as it is
important to guage the heat at substrate level.
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· How
can I tell what the relative humidity is?
Buy a humidity
guage (also known as a hygrometer) to monitor the humidity
relative to the temperure. It should read between 70 and
80%. If there is condensation on the glass then you have
high humiditty.
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· How
can I keep the humidity where it should be?
If your problem
is low humidity, then adding a seasponge
to the water dish is suggested. You can also add wood items
that are damp, which should lift the hummidity within the
tank when coupled with an under tank heater.
If your humidity
is to high you shoud lift the lid of your tank slightly,
perhaps propping it up with an eraser or other item until
the humidity level stabilises. If that still doesn't work,
you may need to move the water dish to the non-heated side
of the crabitat.
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· What
type of substrate should I use?
It depends on
your preference, but suitable substrates include: sanitised
beach sand, calci-sand, coral sand, reef sand, natural fine
river pebbles, coconut
fiber (Forest
Bed/EcoEarth). More substrates can be found
here.
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Diet
· What
kind of foods are there?
The main types
of food is fresh, dry and commercial.
Fresh foods include
fresh fruit, seafood, meat, cooked rice, apple sauce, honey,
peanut butter, vegetables, etc
Dry foods include
coconut strops, coconut ribbons, dessicated coconut, nuts,
seeds, cereal, seaweed strips (nori).
· What
kind of foods should I give my hermit crabs?
 View the food list for more information
· What
kind of treats can you give a hermit crab?
· What
foods should you never feed a hermit crab?
.
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Water
· What
kind of water do hermit crabs need?
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· How
do I prepare the fresh water?
.
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· How
do I prepare the 'ocean' water?
.
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·
How long can I store the 'ocean' water?
.
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·
Which brand of 'synthetic sea water' mix should I use?
.
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· How
do I measure the salinity of my ocean water?
.
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Purchasing
· How
much does a hermit crab cost?
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· Where
can I get a hermit crab?
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· What
kind of shells should I provide my hermit crab?
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Handling
· Can
I handle my hermit crab?
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· Do
hermit crabs pinch?
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Exercise
· What
items can I add to my tank to encourage exercise?
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· Why
is exercise important?
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· What
safety precautions should I observe?
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Bathing
· Should
I bathe my hermit crabs?
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· How
do I bathe my hermit crabs?
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· How
do I bathe my hermit crabs?
Mites - if your
hermit crab has mites or is affected by other pests then
you will need to gently submerge the crab
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