On Travelling with Hermit Crabs

On Travelling with Hermit Crabs

So I said I would write an update about the crabs. Jim, Hermes and Lupe are still alive.

After our long tough day to Evanston we arrived at the gross Motel, and brought up the crabs with us. When Tanner finally opened the plastic tub they are travelling in he saw legs everywhere in the sand. He turned to me and said, “There are legs all over and crap!” For a second I was sure one of the crabs had been torn to pieces and was dead.

I dropped down to look and realized that one of them had just molted.

Hermit crabs shed their exoskeleton after growing a new one underneath. The new exoskeleton is roomier, so they can keep growing. The exoskeleton they shed really looks just like a hermit crab, and can be confusing at first. So we realized no one had died, but it was still a really bad situation.

The hermit crab that just molted is very vulnerable. The new exoskeleton is a little soft at first. They need to eat the old one that they shed, to reabsorb the minerals. So the old exoskeleton smells like food to a crab. Which means the other two crabs might come try to eat it and possible also hurt or eat the crab that just molted.

We washed out a separate Tupperware, and put the freshly molted hermit crab with his old exoskeleton in that, it still smells like Asian pasta.

This is the crab that molted, you can see him sitting in front of his molted legs 

We tried not to bother him too much, I am pretty sure it is Hermes. But two nights ago Tanner held him up long enough for him to come out of his shell a little, and realized he is missing one of his bigger legs entirely. If hermit crabs are healthy they can grow back a leg, which Lupe did when I first got her. But either Hermes was attacked or in serious distress from molting in a tiny plastic tub that has been vibrating in the truck all day.

Sitting between us on the floor in the truck

I know they are getting too hot sometimes, when we have to leave them in the truck. I worry when Tanner has the air conditioning on full blast they are too cold. They are getting the bare minimum for food and water. Today at the bourbon distilleries, at one point we put them in the shade under the truck while we were doing a tour. Their electric heating mat broke as well.

I don’t recommend travelling with hermit crabs. I am pretty sure they will survive, and once they are settled in they will be fine again. 

With us on the floor in one of our hotels. We are also hauling out the distilled water and the salt water at least once a day to make sure they are watered. This was right before we realized the heating pad was broken