Please help me!I need to know if my hermit crab Chloe is still alive!

Question

This morning i found my hermit crab half-way out of its shell.So i picked it up and a crunchy body fell off!It looked like there was very little left on the inside so i threw it away thinking it was dead.Then i used a search engine to help me and it said that the molted crab could be tucked away in the back! So i ran and found it! Once i picked it up, something soggy and reddish (like a molted hermit c**p or something,looked like a shrimp) plopped out!! i looked at it for a while and it didn't move at all!i did smell a little but i wasn't sure.Then i assumed it was molting so i buried it in the sand and put its shell beside it. Please answer because i am anxious to know if my hermit is alive! :(

Answer 1

It sounds like your hermit crab moulted and then died.

If the soft body was damaged in any way during moult the animal might not pull though. When they are soft it is a very stressful time for the animal.

If there is a smell comming off the body then it is dead. Falling out of a shell is also a typical sign the animal is dead.