i found my hermit crabs big claw and one leg on top of the sand next to its shell. i have 2 of them, so maybe they got into a fight? i just want to know why it happened, and if they are ganna live.
2006-11-28 09:57:03 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Many people who bring home crabs fresh from the pet store experience this in the first month of owning them -- the crabs seem to just "fall apart" one leg at a time. Let me state for clarity, that this is not molting! What your crab is doing is responding to all the stress of being taken from his tropical home, taken to a wholesaler's and then shipped to a pet store. That is a lot of stress on any animal (even people!) and for a small animal like a hermit crab, it can have devastating consequences.
If you've had the crab for at least a month and it begins to drop legs and claws, you need to closely examine your crab-keeping practices.
The only thing you can do for your hermit crab is maintain an optimum environment and hope the stress wasn't lethal. I have had crabs lose a leg or part of a leg and not die. I have had crabs lose their big claws and not die, so the loss of their big claw does *not* mean the crab is "doomed." However, crabs that lose more than one leg in a few hours are usually beyond help and you should isolate them from the others and attempt to keep them as comfortable as possible until their death. Closely examine your crabitat. Check for the following known crab stressors: (1) low humidity; (2) tank too hot or too cold; (3) recent temperature fluctuations; (4) chlorine in the drinking water; (5) heat lamps, heat rocks or being kept in the sun too long with no place to hide; (6) chemicals in the environment, such as metal water dishes, cleaning solvents around the crabitat, (7) shell fights; (8) bathing or misting the crabs too much (more than two times a week); and (9) molting problems. You can't do much about the molting problems, but almost all the other stressors can be alleviated in some way. Please try to keep your crab's home as stress-free as possible.
2006-11-28 16:01:39 · answer #1 · answered by lady_crotalus 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
OK, most likely it was molting. When a hermit crab molts it sheds it exoskeleton. (the layer that you always see) when it does this it should be by itslef, left alone, in the dark where it can dig, and with food and water. Also when a hermit crab loses a leg, it molts and grows it back. Just make sure that it could get food even with missing limbs. Hermit crabs are also cannibals, if one is molting then another will eat so that is why it needs to be seperated. The hermit crab also eats its own exoskeleton so just pick up the peices that it doesn't eat and throw it away. Molting is a very stressful time for these creatures so leave them alone as often as possible when molting.
2006-11-30 12:38:31 · answer #2 · answered by penguo01 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like a molt to me too. Leave the "legs" so that your crab can eat them, give him a week or two to "harden up" do not disturb him or move him while he is soft in his shell. The stress could cause him to expell his shell water which would kill him. If you already removed the molted "legs" you need to provide a calcium supplement in the form of cuttle bone, crab works health block or clean powdered eggshells (boiled, membrane removed and pulverized) Molting is a stressfull time for crabs. Disturb him as little as possible. Best of luck to you.
2016-03-29 14:36:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be because it is molting. All of mine have done surface molts. Don't disturb him and make sure the other one doesn't bother him. What a molt is when a crab is shedding his exoskeleton and he will have a new body under it. He does need to eat it so don't take it out. If you have taken it out put in a cutler bone in so he can get extra calcium. Hope this helps.
2006-11-28 12:15:53 · answer #4 · answered by lovedietdp 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well the claw and leg will grow back. How big is the tank do you have them in. They need a certain amount of personal space.
2006-11-28 10:08:17 · answer #5 · answered by tootsie6786 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes--my daughter had 2 of them also and one's leg fell off--we also thought they got into a fight--it took quite awhile but it grew back and it was just fine--so don't worry I think it happens alot but don't know why. We thought it got caught in the rock or a fight also. Good luck!
2006-11-28 10:00:04 · answer #6 · answered by katie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think the one who lost the leg will be walking/living much more. They could have been in a fight.
2006-11-28 10:04:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
did ou check if they are still alive because my crab died a day after i found a leg in its cage
2006-11-28 10:01:11 · answer #8 · answered by girlywakeboard 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No they don't fall off, but if you have more than one hermit crab.They might eat each other.
2006-11-28 10:07:18 · answer #9 · answered by sassydaisy11 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i do not know what happened but i had five hermet crabs and that happened and they will grow back and it will live
2006-11-28 10:00:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋