How long can hermit crabs stay out of their shells????

ummm.... well i have a hemit cram and it is out of its shell there are bigger ones aroun the tank but he wont use them... im buying more tomorrow but NEED to no how long will he live without a shell on aproximately???

How long can hermit crabs stay out of their shells????
Hermit crabs can live weeks with out shells. provided they are healthy and the humidity and temperature levels are high.



If they are stressed, ill, or injured then they will not last very long.



it is very rare for a hermit crab to ditch the shell because it has outgrown it. When they out grow a shell they go to a new one and hop on over. They do not leave their shell and go searching naked for a new one. unless their shell has been stolen from them. abandoning shell is a sign of stress illness or mites.



hermit crabs grow very slowly. so if the shell is much larger then the current shell the crab won't fit in it for a few years. When buying shells always go for the same size and shape of the current shell. When getting larger ones go slightly larger. And always buy non painted shells. Painted shells kill and harm crabs. The paint may be non-toxic to us but it is toxic to the hermit crab.



If the streaking crab is new he may just be stressed from his time in the petstore. Add some hermit crab safe salt water to the shells. Check for mites and let him do his thing.
Reply:They can last several days without a shell if they remain hydrated and nothing is causing them injury. The shell protects them and helps retain moisture. They are at their most vulnerable when they are out.



Each hermit crab will vary btw. I worked at a petstore for a short stint and we had several hermit crabs outgrow their shells and remain out of a shell for 1-2 days before they finally chose a shell they were comfortable with. You should offer an array of sizes. Its best to have shells in the tank that are too big "now" than those that he may be able to fit into, but not grow with.
Reply:like five minutes. also this is labeled under "reptiles" haha.. crabs are not..