subject: Why Choose Pet Land Hermit Crabs As Companions? [print this page] If you're looking for an unusual and entertaining pet then look no further than pet land hermit crabs. These tiny crustaceans are endearing characters, being both lively and curious. They have distinct personalities and like to climb, dig and hold on to your clothing when you take them out of their tanks. Their low maintenance requirements makes them ideal pets for children or anyone with a limited amount of spare time.
Hermit crabs are not "true" crabs because they have a smaller, soft abdomen which they must protect by living in an empty snail shell. They need to find progressively larger shells as they grow and so the owner of pet land hermit crabs need to have a number of shells in different sizes for their pet to move into.
There are two main types of land hermit crabs kept as pets in the USA , namely Coenobita clypeatus commonly known by a variety of names such as the Caribbean Crab, Purple Pincher Crab, or Soldier Crab and Coenobita compressus also known as Ecuadorian Crab or E Crab. They are relatively easy to find in pet shops, but take care when choosing your pet. You need to check that all his legs are present (there should be 3 walking pairs), the shell covering the head and thorax isn't damaged, that there are no visible parasites and lastly that he appears to be lively. If you are buying an additional crab to add to your family of pet land hermit crabs try and match the size or you could have fighting on your hands.
Contrary to its name, the hermit crab does not like to live alone. It is a gregarious little chap and likes to have at least one or two house mates. His living requirements are relatively simple consisting of a 10 gallon plastic or glass tank, or larger if you can afford it, with a floor covering of sand or coconut fibre bedding, for burrowing in. Pet land hermit crabs also need their tank to be kept at a temperature somewhere between 72 80o F and the humidity levels to be kept around 70 percent. If the temperature drops regularly below this then your crabs will die. Alternatively, don't leave them baking on a hot windowsill or they will overheat and die a painful death.
It's very easy to feed pet land hermit crabs as they will eat pretty much anything that is offered. They do require a well balanced nutritional diet, so offer them a variety of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit. Try, wherever possible, to make sure all of their food is organic or non processed. When giving them water, ensure that it is pure water that you would put into a fish tank since chlorine is harmful to them.
Hermit crabs absolutely love toys. They enjoy climbing all over and hiding in almost anything that you give them. You can buy ready made hermit toys at your local pet store but they will have just as much fun with a small clay flowerpot or piece of driftwood. They also enjoy coral, barnacles and sea fans.
Well that's all the basics covered, so now you can go off and have fun with your new pets.
