HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Every time I pick up King, he dribbles liquid all over the place! None of my other crabs do this, but I don't know why King does, does he keep water in his shell or is it something else I'm not aware of?

It's called shell water. Because hermit crabs aren't too far removed from their ocean-going cousins, they need to keep their rear ends and their gills moist at all times, so they carry a small amount of water with them. Each hermit crab prefers it's own special mixture of salty water, which is one of the reasons why it's important to have both fresh and marine water available to them, so they can mix it how they like it. It also keeps them from dehydrating if they're too far away from a water source in the wild.

Some crabs are quick to dribble when startled or handled, while others will hold onto it at all costs. It's probably a defense mechanism - the water could scare away predators (like how frogs pee when you pick them up), or it could be that it makes the crab lighter and therefor faster when running away.

wodesorel wrote:or it could be that it makes the crab lighter and therefor faster when running away.

I never thought of this one!! That's a great idea!