Friday, January 27, 2012

Do hermit crabs come out of their shells when molting?

my hermit crab is apparently molting and its come out of its shell and it looks dead, it doesnt stink yet...

so is it dead or is this normal?

Do hermit crabs come out of their shells when molting?
poke it %26amp; find out
Reply:they do come out of the shells when molting but also whenthey die. poke him or something.
Reply:Yes!
Reply:this is a misconception that is floating around the internet. I think it comes from people mistaking the shed Exo for the hermit crab it's self. When a crab moults particularly with a surface moult you will find bits of exo and hollow legs where the animal shed the exoskeleton. Sometimes it is in pieces other times it is a whole and can be pretty frightening if they catch you off guard. but when you check the shell you find a pink little crab hidden away safe and sound.



If the crab is out of the shell abdomen and all something is wrong. This is what they do if they are sick, stressed, or in a desperate situation.



If the animal has a bad moult they may abandon shell. If the animal is super stressed they will abandon shell. If the crab is kept in poor conditions with limited humidity they will abandon shell. If the crab poisoned by chemicals in the water, food, painted shell, or other source ( chemical spray close to the tank) they might abandon shell. and Mites cause some crabs to abandon shell.



This is not normal behaviour but he might not be dead yet. If there is a fish smell then he is gone. Check the anteni and see if you get a response. place all the shells close to him with hermit crab safe water added. Most important separate him from the others. Hermit crabs need a social environment with other crabs. only when abandoning shell and for some keepers moulting should they be separate. All other times they can be with their hermit crab colony.
Reply:pick it up and see if theres any movement
Reply:yes and if you dont know that much then contact an exotic animal vet go go to your local pet store and ask them or go to petco .com and print a care sheet off about them.


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