Hermit Crab Facts


Hermit crabs are not really related to the true crabs. They get their name due to their habit of living in borrowed shell which is similar to hermits living alone in a cave.

Hermit crabs, though not popularly sought after as pets, are very interesting and fun to own. If you are planning on purchasing hermit crabs, it is essential knowing a few important hermit crab facts.

Appearance

Hermit crabs are invertebrates and can be found in a riot of attractive colors, with predominant colors brown, red and orange. Most of the hermit crabs also have attractive patterns and purple spots on their body.

During the molting period, hermit crabs move to another shell after shedding their exoskeleton. Their twisted, soft bodies can be found within their shells. Hermit crabs have two claws in the front and a total of ten legs with joints.

One of the interesting hermit crab facts is that they live in borrowed shells. They borrow the shell from a sea snail, live in it and when they outgrow it, they move on to another shell. If you own a hermit crab, it is therefore vital keeping a larger shell in his habitat in case he wants to shift to a bigger one.

Interesting Hermit Crab facts

  • There are more than five hundred species of hermit crabs and they can be found in different types.
  • Most of the hermit crabs live in the ocean.
  • Some of them live on land too.
  • Hermit crab facts say that it is not possible to breed hermit crabs in captivity as most of them reproduce and released fertilized eggs in the ocean.
  • Through the molting process, the baby hermit crab grows into an adult from the larval stage.
  • As compared to the adult hermit crabs, younger ones molt frequently. While the adults molt once in eighteen months, the young ones molt every few months.
  • Hermit crabs love to climb as they are good climbers. It is therefore highly recommended to make them comfortable and provide them with a cage that is easy to climb or place drift wood inside their habitat to enable them to climb out of water whenever they want to.


Hermit crab facts on diet

Hermit crabs are not fussy about their food.

They can be fed with almost everything we eat including vegetables, fresh fruits, fish and meat.

With a few trial and errors, it is possible to identify their favorite foods.

You can feed your pet hermit crab with food such as potato chips, crackers, peanut butter, tuna fish, vegetables, fruits and their favorite popcorn, raisins and grapes.

Life time and Habitat

Other hermit crab facts say that they are known to live even up to 15 years in captivity. It is however recommended to keep them away from your bedroom during nights as they are nocturnal and are loud pets.

Contrary to what their name suggests, hermit crabs do not prefer solitude. They enjoy being in crowd and it is not uncommon to find them clustered in groups of hundreds on the beach. This is a major reason why it is necessary to keep more than one hermit crab in the habitat as pets.