Land
Hermit Crabs are native to the tropical coasts of Florida, the Caribbean, West
Indies and South America. They live in
colonies in nature and are more active if kept in pairs or groups. These
fascinating creatures live in and carry around a shell to protect their soft
bodies. As the crabs grow, about once
or twice a year, they will molt and move into bigger shells. Several extra shells should be provided for
them to choose from. The ideal shells
should be 1/3 bigger and have an opening the size of the crab’s large pincher.
Maximum size: 6”
Life span: 15+
years
Lighting: Specialized reptile lights
for viewing nocturnal animals would be a good choice. Avoid basking type lighting, which would dry out the terrarium
and be detrimental to the Land Hermit Crabs.
Temperature range: Day 75-85°F Night 70°-75°F
Water: A shallow container of
clean, dechlorinated water should always be available. Make sure that the crabs can easily climb in
and out of the container. The crabs
should be bathed once or twice a week in a shallow container of dechlorinated
lukewarm water. They should be
encouraged to walk around in their bath to loosen any debris under their
shells. Let them air dry before
retuning them to their cage. They enjoy
occasional misting which should be done outside of their terrarium.
Food: Small
quantities of hermit crab food, fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Housing/Habitat: They should be housed in a
humid tropical terrarium with 2-3” of calci-sand substrate and an under tank
heating pad at one end. Landscape with
choya wood, driftwood, and coral to provide plenty of climbing and hiding
places. The terrarium humidity should
be kept around 70-80%. Land Hermit
Crabs do not have fully developed lungs and the humidity in their environment
must be kept high so that they can extract oxygen from the moist air. Adding a damp sponge to the terrarium or
keeping the lower level of the substrate slightly damp and a glass canopy
partially covering the screen will help control humidity. Although they require humid air, they do
not like or flourish in wet conditions and the terrarium should be kept
dry.