HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hi there!
It's that time of year for college students everywhere: The Month of Finals. In addition to studying to finals, we've got final projects to work on. Lucky me, I've got a whole colony of hermit crab keepers right here to help!

For my Statistics 141 final project, I'd like to run statistical tests on data for hermit crab molting. I've always heard that small crabs molt more often, and more quickly, and that larger crabs molt more infrequently, and for longer periods. I'd like to see if this is true!

I've been here for a few years, so I know there are a couple members who keep diligent molting records. Also, I know many of you recognize molting signs and isolate your crabs during a molt. Haha! This means many of the data will be accurate, which is good news for me. But, since a crab can finish molting and stay under for another good week and a half anyway, the precision of the data will be slightly skewed anyway, so anyone who would like to post rough estimates is more than welcome to!

Here's the questionnaire:

1. How long have you owned this hermit crab?


2. How large is this crab? (width of shell opening)


2. How many other crabs in its colony?


3. What substrate do you use?


4. In the past year, how many times has this crab molted?


5. If applicable, in the past two years, how many times has this crab molted?


6. How long had you owned this crab before it molted?


7. How long do molts by this crab usually last? (Rough estimate)



I'd love data for one crab, multiple crabs...as many as you like.

This would really help me, and it would be nifty to see the results!

I'll post graphs. With color. It'll be brilliant.

Sounds like a very cool research project! Because some of my crabs are almost 3 years old, I will fill out different surveys for each. I have chosen PPs to give you the info on. Let me know if you need data regarding the other species, because their molting habits seem to differ from purple pinchers. Please feel free to use their pictures if you'd like.

Anyhow, here we go:

I will start with one of the "ants" first. I received them when they were only "crabs" for about 1-2 months. (Prior to that, they floated around the ocean as plankton & the developing hermit crab.) When they arrived, all 4 of them could fit on a dime at the same time.




Dottie:
1. How long have you owned this hermit crab?
2yrs., 8months


2. How large is this crab? (width of shell opening)
5/8"


2. How many other crabs in its colony?
25


3. What substrate do you use?
Play sand & Ecco Earth


4. In the past year, how many times has this crab molted?
6 times


5. If applicable, in the past two years, how many times has this crab molted?
17 times


6. How long had you owned this crab before it molted?
6 days

****When the ants first arrived, they molted on average of once every 2 weeks.****


Freddie: Was small when I got her. She is now a larger-medium.
1. How long have you owned this hermit crab?
2yrs, 10months


2. How large is this crab? (width of shell opening)
1 1/8"


2. How many other crabs in its colony?
30

3. What substrate do you use?
Playsand & Ecco Earth

4. In the past year, how many times has this crab molted?
3 times

5. If applicable, in the past two years, how many times has this crab molted?
7 times


6. How long had you owned this crab before it molted?
2 months




Bertha: (is a jumbo.)
1. How long have you owned this hermit crab?
She is an adoptee. I have had her for 1yr. 1month, but she has been in captivity for 4yrs. 8mos.


2. How large is this crab? (width of shell opening)
1 5/8"

2. How many other crabs in its colony?
30

3. What substrate do you use?
Playsand & Ecco Earth

4. In the past year, how many times has this crab molted?
1 time

5. If applicable, in the past two years, how many times has this crab molted?
1 time (she molts about every 18mos.)

6. How long had you owned this crab before it molted?
9 months

Bertha before her molt:



Post-molt:

1. How long have you owned this hermit crab?
3 months

2. How large is this crab? (width of shell opening)
3/4"

2. How many other crabs in its colony?
4

3. What substrate do you use?
Mixture of aquarium sand, calci-sand and jungle bedding.

4. In the past year, how many times has this crab molted?
1

5. If applicable, in the past two years, how many times has this crab molted?
N/A

6. How long had you owned this crab before it molted?
1 week

7. How long do molts by this crab usually last? (Rough estimate)
4 weeks

ive got data on quite a few crabs up until about a year ago. it isnt current for the crabs i have now, but for several who have passed. i have it for a bunch of crabs, it might be easiest for me to just email you the excell document, there are probably 20 or so crabs you could use (that i took data on earlier in my crabbing career).

Caroline

That....is amazing and brilliant! Thank you so much!

My email address is khopkins@uvm.edu, and you are now one of my heroes. ^^

sent the email yesterday, did you get it?

Caroline

Yes i did...did you get my response? I hope so.

Thank you so much, that was a GREAT help.


Anyone else keeping records?