Hello all. I am new here and need some advice on how to proceed with an emergency situation. We have 5 hermies, 3 PPs and 2 E's. I have been an owner since early June when we got our first two PPs at Myrtle Beach. After properly setting up a new habitat in a 50 g tank, we added a micro PP and 2 Ecuadorian herms. I am very strict about them and do not allow my kids to handle them, rather watch them and interact with them that way. Yesterday, my brother was visiting with his three stepsons. I was downstairs with the other adults and unbeknownst to me, the kids were showing the hermies to my brother's stepsons. One of them decided to take out my biggest E and hold him in his palm. When this happened, the hermie pinched his palm apparently and he jerked his hand away quickly, pulling the crab out of his shell and throwing him to the floor (carpet). He came downstairs still holding the empty shell in his hand, and I panicked. I ran upstairs to find my E crouched behind the aquarium stand, streaked of course, I gently picked him up, put him back in the tank, and put his shell next to him. He immediately crawled back into the shell, and walked across the tank fine.
However, he found a spot out in the open, went far into his shell, and was in the same spot this morn. I expected the worse and thought he had died, but I gently turned him around and he came out of his shell and walked to the other side. This is normally my most active hermie..he's extremely active. He was stayed in the spot he moved to up until this evening, when he climbed up the small piece of wood and perched on top of it for a few hours. I went back in just now and couldnt find him at first. After a few minutes, I noticed him right next to the container the shells are stored in. He has buried himself completely except for a small part of his shell. I, of course, didn't bother him since he needs to destress, but I'm so afraid he's burying himself to die after this incident. This is the first time he's went down since I got him.
So what do you all think? Are chances good that he will be ok? I'm so worried about my little guy!
