What do they eat? Hermit crabs are scavengers in the wild. They are omnivores (an animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances) so they will eat pretty much anything they come across. In captivity they need a good commercial hermit crab food to ensure they get the proper vitamins and minerals.
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Do they bite? Hermit crabs do not bite but they can pinch. They have 2 claws - the small one is for feeding and the large one is used for defense and to cover the opening when they pull back into their shell.
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How long do they live? Depending on which book you read, hermit crabs can live from 30 to 70 years. Based on the growth of one of our female crabs over the last 10 years, 30+ years of age is very feasible.
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Where do they come from? The 'Purple Pincher' land hermit crab is found in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Map There are many other varieties of land hermit crabs that are being imported and kept as pets. They come from Central and South America (Ecuadorian or "E's"), Indonesia (Strawberry's and Indo's) to the East Coast of Africa (Cav's and Ruggie's).
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Do they smell? Your crab cage should not normally smell. If their is an odor it may be from fresh food the crabs have dragged around that is now beginning to rot. We do sell a citrus based enzyme deodorizer that is safe for crabs.
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Can you eat them? Hermit crabs are a food source for the local people on some of the islands they inhabit.
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Do they grow there shell? Are they attached to it? Hermit crabs do not grow there own shell. They find discarded shells from other creatures like mollusks and move in to them. They hold on to the shell with their uropod at the end of their tail.
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Are the tiny crabs the same as the big crabs? Sometimes it is hard for people to believe that our tiny crabs (the size of a dime) are the same species as our jumbo crabs (larger than a baseball). It takes about 20 years, but eventually the littlest of crabs will grow up to be jumbos.
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Do they transmit disease? Their are no known diseases that hermit crabs can transmit to us. They do not carry salmonella.
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Will large crabs fight with the small ones? Hermit crabs of different sizes can happily coexist. If you follow proper care and tank setup your crabs should not be stressed and will not pick on each other. When you do introduce a new crab you may see what we call 'antenna wars'. The crabs will face each other and wave their antennas and legs. This reestablishes dominance and usually ends peacefully.
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Will they breed in my tank? Hermit crabs typically will not breed in captivity. We have had several pregnant females.
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Why aren't they in water? 'Purple Pinchers' are Land hermit crabs. They are born in the ocean but after a few months come ashore and their gills adapt to breathe air.
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Are these what I see on the beach up north? The hermit crabs you find up north in the ocean and along the shoreline are the Marine variety of hermit crab. Their coloring is different, their eyes are blue or green and they need to live in water to survive. They would die on land over time and the land hermit crab would drown in water over time.
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Why do they wear a shell? Hermit crabs have very soft tails that would be vulnerable to predators if exposed. They also hold water in their shells to keep their gills moist.
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Do they make any noise? Hermit crabs can make a croaking noise when they are feeling distressed. Hermit crabs are nocturnal so they are quite active in their cage at night.
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