Why Is
My Hermie Losing Limbs?
The main
perceived reasons a hermit crab will lose limbs are:
-
stress
from fluctuating temperatures - it is important to keep the
temperature and humidity as stable as possible so as to keep
your hermit crabs from becoming stressed. Just as we feel
uncomfortable with the changes in environment (when there
is a cold morning, hot afternoon and cool evening etc) so
do the hermit crabs. As warm blooded humans, hen it gets hot,
our bodies sweat to cool down, and when it gets cold we shiver
to get warm. With hermit crabs when they get cold they become
inactive and go to sleep to preserve body warmth, or dig down
to the warmest section of the tank. When it is too hot they
may come out of their shells or hang near the water dish.
A stable temperature is the best method, perhaps with the
use of a thermostat or rheostat to keep it steady.
-
If
hermit crabs are stressed by environmental factors such as
their crabarium being: too hot, too cold, too humid or too
dry then they may lose limbs and slowly die. It is important
to keep your crabarium as close to the environment they are
plucked form in the wild. That means recreating the tropics
which as we know means warmth and moisture.
-
aggression
- a nother reason crabs loose a limb or a cheliped is when
a crab moults and does not shed their entire exoskeleton in
one piece, but instead section by section, over a number of
days. Generally if they survive the moult they grow their
limbs back again (regeneration) and can be happy and healthy.
-
Shell
Swap - there are cases where one hermit crab will act aggressively
towards another hermit crab. It could be territorial or over
a desired shell. In the wild a hermit crab will "throw" a
claw or leg if another hermit crab tries to pull them out
of their shell. This is a responsive behaviour and their limbs
are built in a way that they are able to "drop" or "throw"
a limb easily so they may survive an attack. This is called
Autotomy.
Example
Shell Swap Behaviour:
When one crab likes another's shell, say Crab A likes Crab B's
shell, Crab A will go up to Crab B's shell, knock its shell
( that of Crab A) against the other crab's shell (Crab B), causing
the crab in the desired shell (Crab B) to come out and have
a look at what is going on. Now the first crab will try to pull
the second crab out of its shell by a cheliped or other limb.
The second crab will normally drop his cheliped(grasping claw)
or leg/s and retreat inside his shell, using his remaining cheliped
to protect himself. Preferring to loose a limb instead of loosing
a shell.
-
Illness
from contaminated living conditions
There
are many stores that do not meet the needs of the land hermit
crabs they sell. If there is mould/mold, fungus, bacteria or pests
inside the tank, there is a chance that even with the best of
care the hermit crabs could die. In Australia it is a breach of
pet store 'code of ethics' to sell a hermit crab that is suffering
from disease, illness or injury and they should seek prompt vetinary
attention for any animal in their care that is so affected. If
you see such a tank, talk nicely to the owner and recommend some
hermit crab care tips, or give them my number to contact me and
I will send them out an 'introduction' kit with caresheets, checklists,
beginners kit (food, treat, hc salt, water conditioner, mister
bottle, 2 seasponges and an iso unit. If after several attempts
to reach the manager/owner of the store is fruitless, either wring
the RSPCA or contact
me by email and I will contact them on your behalf.
If
your hermit crab tank has a mite infestation you will need to
get rid of them ASAP! Visit the
MITES page for more information
If
your hermit crabs start to lose limbs and it isn't part of a moult,
please phone or email FMR
for help, or visit FMR's
site for more information. Toll Free Number 1800 535 2722 9am-5pm
Eastern time
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