We found one of our crabs dead out of its shell.. what could have happend,, its shell wasnt cracked at all.. and no other crab took over the shell.. its empty.. we wonder if it got pulled out by one of the kids??? is that possible, i think it would have pinched them...havent asked the kids yet because if they didnt do it they would be heart broken and if they did they would never confess, and in my eyes have some phycological stuff going on... so i want to approch it delicatly, The real question is , Is it possiable to pull them out of there shells?????
2006-12-24 15:31:51 · 8 answers · asked by Z 4 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
If a kid tried to pull the crab out of its shell, that could easily have killed it - they have muscles in their abdomens that hold them into the shells. However, I doubt the child would be able to do so, unless they were *very* determined, because getting a grip on the crab to pull would be difficult.
When a hermit crab dies, its abdominal muscles relax and they fall out of their shells, regardless of the reason why it died. I'd be more likely to believe the crab died of other reasons than being pulled from its shell.
Before you get rid of the shell, be *sure* that it is empty. When a crab molts (sheds its outer shell so it can grow larger), it pushes the old exoskeleton out of its shell and retreats far into its shell.
2006-12-24 15:44:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is my experience that crabs streak (go naked) because of the following things:
Shell Fights "Shell fights occasionally occur among wild and pet hermit crabs and can often be detected because of chirping sounds. From a position slightly above the defending crab's shell, an attacking crab seizes the defending crab with its walking legs and rapidly rotates it back and forth. While doing this, the attacker's claws are usually inside the opening of the defending crab's shell. This shaking often drives the defending crab from the shell that the attacker wants. Practically leaping out of its shell, the loser waits and enters the victor's shell. Typically, neither crab is harmed and both might get a better-fitting shell."
Taken from Hermit Crabs: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual, by Sue Fox
Environment Too Hot I've seen crabs have sequential shell fights down the 'intra-tank-pecking-order' until the weakest crab was left naked. This was because the air in the tank got so hot that the crabs required a thinner shell to aide in cooling their abdomens. Keep a close watch on the temperature and make sure it does not get too hot.
The Unexplained Sometimes a crab will go naked for no immediately obvious reason. In that case, you must examine your entire method of crab-keeping. The crab would not be naked if something weren't amiss. Go back and look for any possible stressors, in particular the temperature and humidity. Also be sure you are bathing the crabs no more than once a week (twice a week in desert climes).
My Crab Tank Is Infested With Mites or Gnats! YUCK! One day you pick up your favorite crab, and as he comes out of his shell to greet you, what do you see but BUGS crawling on his back! You can't believe your eyes, blink, and look again – yep, they are still there! Your crab has mites.
2006-12-24 15:40:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
This happened to one of our hermit crabs as well. We had two hermit crabs that our son purchased. Almost a year later, we found one dead, it was out of it's shell. Our son didn't even know it, as I found it one morning. The other hermit crab was hiding in a log in the crate we have them in, so our only thought was it knew it was dying and crawled out so another crab could have the shell.
Our son was 6 and this was his first expierence with a "pet" that died. We buried it and left the shell in the crate. We have heard that many hermit crabs will inhabit the shell after one has left.
Of course, a few months later, we were down the shore and we purchased two more hermit crabs (to be friends with our now "lonely" one crab.) About two months later, one of the new crabs died. But, he stayed in the shell. We managed to shake the newly dead one out of the shell, and buried him as well. Somewhat near the first one that died.
That was about 6 months ago and we now have the orignial crab and one of the new ones.
So, as for can you pull one out? I think you can, but I don't think that's what happened. With hermit crabs, you never know how long they have been at the store who sold them, and what kind of condition they are in when you get them.
If your children want them to come out of the shell, all they have to do is spray them with warm water in a container. It's like a bath and the crabs will come out. There are plenty of website as well that are geared for kids who want to take good care of their hermit crabs.
Good luck.
2006-12-24 15:46:26 · answer #3 · answered by Flowerlady NYC 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
After doing some quick research online, it is very likely that the crab could have left its shell to die. This doesn't always happen, but it is common. Of course, it would be possible to pull them out of the shell, but it is more likely that the crab came out of it naturally.
2006-12-24 15:42:06 · answer #4 · answered by turcott2 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't know why, but we had a dozen hermit crabs and all of them were found dead and outside their shell- even the last one who didn't have any friends to pull him olut. I was also the only one with access to them and I didn't do it. Glad to see someone else with the same issue.
2006-12-24 16:10:01 · answer #5 · answered by woaikonglong 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i would say exoskeleton. i had one hermit crab surface molt successfully. i thought the same thing at first. i lifted up the cocohut to take my crabs out to play and i saw the exoskeleton. i was crying and my mom came to look at it. she thought it was dead, but the odd thing was that there was to tail and nothing inside it. there was nothing in the shell. then, i felt a movement DEEP inside it. i said " mom, there's something inside this shell. i swear" shes like NOOO I THINK ITS DEAD. but eventually it came out ************************************* but if there is no shell in sight, i would say that he molted and just buried to destress. look at the thing on the sand. does it have a tail curled in a circle beside it? if it doesnt, there is probably a molting hermit crab under you sand!! keep it very wet, and do NOT dig up a molting crab!! that will kill it!!! Fingers crossed for ur crabbie!!! -M :)
2016-05-23 05:04:00 · answer #6 · answered by Jean 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You know when my hermit crab died I also found him out of his shell. I just thought that this was sometning they did. There was no one around to touch him. I did like my hermit crab.
2006-12-24 16:43:49 · answer #7 · answered by thmsnbrgll 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
no they are in the shell in tell they died then they are out of the shell so
2006-12-24 15:35:30 · answer #8 · answered by kim_reavis2000 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋