Dead Hermit Crab?!?!HELP!!!?

Question

HELP!!! I think our little hermit crab, Lightning, is dead!='( We brought him and his friend, Stormy, out to run around on the table, but Lightning wouldn't even come out of his shell. He is usually shy, so we didn't think much of it. But then, when my brother put him under warm water, which will make a hermit crab usually come out of his shell, he still stayed in his shell curled up. Then we tried touching him, but he still didn't move. His eyes are stuck together and his antennae aren't moving at all! And when we move his shell, his body just slides around in his shell! I think he's dead, but what do we do if he is? We tried taking him out of his shell, but he's too far in to pull out. And we want to keep his shell for other hermit crabs, and don't worry, we were going to clean it BEFORE we let another hermit crab use it.

Is Lightning dead? If so, what do we do next???!!

Answer 1

What is his color? If it looks eregular, than he probulay is dead. When a hermit crab is indeed dead, they usually should be able to come out of their shells. But if he hasn't shown any signs of eating or drinking, I would come to the conclusion that he is dead.

It happens.

When one of my hermit crabs died, he was very limp and had his legs hanging out of his shell.

I don't know the answer onto why his eyes are sticking together. Google it. BUT, If you cant get him out, I dont think I would want to handle a dead hermit crab, and shells arent expensive. So I would just bury him, if you want to provide a "memorial sevice" as some do to their pets, or just through him in the dumpster If he is still not coming out. Because that is indeed eregular.