Will my crabs hurt each other?

Question

In October 2007, I bought a hermit crab. Then in January this year, I bought another one. I kept them separated because I'm scared they'll hurt or kill each other. But then, in July, the one I bought this year died. So i got another one. The 2 are separated too. Tonight, I put the one i just recently got with the one I got in october. i put it in the older one's cage. they started feeling each other and the older one is a little dominate i think. I don't know what to do because my newest one acts like it could use a friend, but when hey got together she acted a little scared i think. about 5 minutes later i put her back in her cage and now they are still separated. what should i do? i don't want a dead or hurt or sick one. should they be together or separated? HELP!

Answer 1

hermit crabs are not named very well.  they are not hermits and prefer to have a companion. the more hermit crabs the better for them. dont worry about fighting, they will get along just fine.

more info-

http://www.hermit-crabs.com/care.html

Answer 2

Friends!

I'm sure you've heard this before, but you really shouldn't keep only one hermit crab alone as a pet. The name 'hermit' is misapplied to our little friends -- they are quite gregarious and like to be around their own kind. In the wild, they travel in packs of up to 100 crabs, scavenging the beach for food and shells.

The reason they travel in packs is simple: Where there are more crabs, there are more shells. Researchers have found by putting one clean, empty shell on the beach, they can initiate a "cascade" of shells changes: One crab changes in to the new shell, another changes into his old shell, and another changes into the other empty shell, and so on. Quite often I find about 20 hermies of my clan all piled on top each other, sleeping. So, please don't consign your friendly hermie to a life of loneliness. As one seasoned crabber once remarked, "Two crabs does not a colony make." Go get him a friend, or better yet, two friends.

Hermit crabs live in colonies of up to 100 or more. They are social creatures and do best when living in groups. If you're considering getting a hermit crab as a pet, purchase two or more so your crabs won't be lonely.

Land hermit crabs are nocturnal creatures. The midday tropical sun is a danger to them; consequently, the daytime is their quiet time.

Hermit crabs are social creatures (belying their name) that seldom fight among themselves. They've been observed communicating to one another by making sounds referred to as chirping.

Hermit crabs prefer shells that fit snugly, because a snug-fitting shell protects their soft abdomen and also helps prevent evaporation of moisture on their bodies. Hermit crabs' lungs aren't as efficiently developed as those of other land-based air-breathing creatures, and they require a certain amount of moisture retention for their lungs to operate properly. If hermit crabs become too dry, they can suffocate. If a hermit crab inhabits a sufficiently snug shell, it will keep a small reservoir of water inside for drinking and breathing purposes.

As hermit crabs grow, they shed their skin, much like a snake or reptile. If they have any broken or missing limbs such as legs or claws or even eyes, they will regenerate at this time. Their general level of activity will slow down considerably; they may even stop eating prior to this process, known as molting. The crabs will bury themselves in sand as means of protection during this vulnerable time and will stay there for up to a month while the new skin hardens. The crabs need extra calcium at this time to help in the development of the new skin and will actually eat the old skin after shedding it to gain extra calcium.

Author(s): William Olds

Here's more on hermit crabs:

Hermit Crabs used to be thought of as a "throwaway pet" that would only live a few months, but with proper care, including mimicking the environment they originated from, and proper feeding, they can thrive for many years.

For example, Coenobita clypeatus is commonly listed as having a 20 year lifespan[5].

In general, hermit crabs are social animals and should be kept in groups. They need higher moisture and heat than an air conditioned home, and they must have an adequate depth of substrate to allow them to dig while moulting. and must be kept accordingly.

Unfortunately, many pet stores only sell small unheated enclosures with a thin layer of substrate and sell crabs individually. In such conditions a hermit crab can only be expected to live 3-9 months.

Answer 3

hermit crabs are social creatures. They should be kept together, it's not likely that they'll ever hurt each other.

Answer 4

it is possible to have an aggressive crab that should be housed separately if he keeps killing the others but in general they are a social animal living in colonies of at least 100

http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/php

http://www.hermit-crabs.com/

http://www.thecrabbagepatch.com/

Answer 5

Depends if you are talking about an STD or an actual crustacean. XD!

Answer 6

Hermit crabs are best kept in groups of at least two.   In the wild, hermit crabs stay in groups as large as hundereds!!!!!  

The only thing that you need to make sure of is that you have plenty of extra shells in your crabs sizes in their tank or your crabs could have a "shell fight".   To read more about this, go to hermitcrabassociation.com.

Also.....the "feeling each other" that you described is perfectly normal.   They are just figuring eachother out!

Happy Crabbing and hope this helps!