Adding hermit crabs to our menagerie of pets has been a fun experience.  They always make me smile but this latest story is worth sharing.

      Our hermit crabs live in our computer room where they get a lot of attention but I guess one of them felt that he wasn’t getting the kind of attention he deserved so decided to go on an adventure and seek out some fun.  For his small size he made the long trek down the side of the table his aquarium is on, across the computer room, down the hall and into the bathroom.    

      I have a dog at home that is obsessed with bringing rocks in the house so when my husband kicked what he thought was a rock across the bathroom floor he didn’t think anything of it.  Upon closer examination it turned out to be a shell.  As he was holding the shell and wondering how on earth a shell got in the bathroom the hermit crab popped his head out.  He was fine and was promptly returned to his aquarium where changes have been made so he can’t take it upon himself to venture out of his habitat again.  

      At flea markets and mall kiosks you will sometimes see hermit crabs being sold with assortments of colourfully decorated and painted shells. Often these pet hermit crabs are promoted as a great pet to just sit on your window ledge requiring minimal care.  In actuality the care for these little guys is just as complex as caring for any type of reptile. 

      Just like reptiles, heat and humidity are key components in helping your hermit crab live a long and happy life.  If a hermit crab lives in a proper environment they can have a life span of 10 – 20 years.  

      The proper home for hermit crabs should be one that holds humidity but still lets in fresh air.  A hygrometer (humidity gauge) and a thermometer will help you monitor and maintain an optimal humidity level and temperature.  

      Hermit crabs are playful and love to climb so items for climbing are a must.  Things like Choya logs or stumps, plastic plants for reptiles are great options for your pet hermit crab to climb and hide in.

      Hermit crabs are scavengers in the wild and will eat whatever they can find.  They enjoy seafood, non-marinated cooked steak and chicken, blood worms, fresh fruit like pineapple, apple, pears, mango, papaya, bananas and more.  Hermit crabs are fun to feed because they enjoy variety in their diet so feeding something different every day is ideal.

      In your hermit crab enclosure you will also need to supply a wide variety of shapes and sizes of sea shells allowing them many options to choose from.  Watching you’re hermit crabs “checking out” a new shell can be very entertaining if you are lucky enough to see them picking a new outfit.  Beware of painted shells as they may contain lead which can be deadly to your little crabs. Crabs really will wear anything.  In the wild hermit crabs have actually been found ‘wearing' plastic bottle tops and airline liquor bottles.

      Initially the set up may seem challenging but since these little guys can make great additions to the home they are definitely worth the work.  Just like adopting any other pet thorough research is important to make sure this type of pet is right for you.