Hermit Crabs Exoskeletons Hello Mr. I purchased 6 blue leg hermit crabs about a month ago, and today found what I believe to be two molted exoskeletons and everything I’ve read refers to them as such, but always prefaced with ‘probably’. A quick count of moving shells re-affirmed that there were no dead crabs, however, is there any solid way to tell the difference between an exoskeleton and a dead crab asides from this slow method? Thanks for your help, Josh

Crabs occupy so many different aquatic niches

Help. Hermit crabs I need some advice. My co-worker brought back some hermit crabs as a gift that he found on a beach in Gulfport. He brought them as a gag but I was dead serious about taking care of them. I filled an aquarium with sand and plants and did the whole sponge and pellet thing since he said they were land critters. They weren’t moving and a couple actually died. I had no idea what to do. My husband said they were probably sick and suffering and to put them in water and let them die in water as they were meant to. Turned out once in water they stared walking around, swapping shells, etc. They are obviously aquatic crabs, They have hairy striped legs and are pretty aggressive to each other. What the heck do I do now? I have no idea. Please help me with anything you can. I live in Arizona. I could always take them to California. I’d appreciate anything you could tell me. Barbara

We place them inside the a bucket while i watched they certainly were every alive and saw them

Coenobita clypeatus was a good terrestrial hermit crab used in exotic and you can sub-tropical components. Residing in moist parts so it terrestrial hermit crab are an effective nocturnal scavenger using good gastropod shell to guard the smooth system parts. These types of creatures are particularly social, foraging and you can traveling inside groups. If you’re C. clypeatus is extremely personal the species is proven to be aggressive to the other hermit crabs within group in order to discount most useful fitted shells. C. clypeatus is even cannibalistic and can consume vulnerable molting crabs. Once the purple pincher hermit crab is terrestrial it must go back toward water to spawn and you may release it is larvae to the water.