Two Legged Crab and Shells

[Boomer]

I adopted a medium PP from my roommate's brother after he drunkenly brought two home from the shore. One died, and the remaining one, Adaar, only has his claws and front legs, which are also missing the toes, leaving him dragging his shell, hanging out when picked up, and unable to climb. He's currently in what looks to be a painted Polinices duplicatus measuring 1.5" in opening width, which seems far too large for him especially considering his missing appendages.

I've placed 6 silver mouth turbos ranging from 3/4" to a little over 1.25" in opening, since Adaar shares the tank with a slightly smaller PP, Cadash. I wanted to be sure they had variety and an option to size up when need be, but Adaar keeps going for the largest ones. He's already switched into one after at least an hour of struggling, but it was comically too large - almost cupping over his entire body - and seemed too heavy for him. Back in the painted shell almost immediately, this leads me to my questions:

1) If he switches to a shell that's too large/small, should I remove the painted shell anyway? I know how terrible they are, but he could barely move in the turbo he chose.

2) Is there anything I can do to make things easier? He keeps falling off the shells and can rarely get on top to begin with. He's fairly trusting, so I nudged him up a few times before I resigned. I've pushed the shells a little into the sand to stabilize them, but he keeps pulling them out and turning them around. This has been going on for nearly 10 hours at this point, and it doesn't seem to come easy to him.

[wodesorel]

It may not be as bad as you think - they always drag their shells when moving and it's normal for them to hang out when picked up. Some will almost look like they'll fall out they come out so far!

If you can, a different type of turbo may be the key for him to be comfortable. Not all hermits like the same type of shell, and there are several turbo species with some being preferred more than others. Silver mouths are heavy and are among the least favorite of the turbos. Pic guide here with favorites: http://www.hermitcrabassociation.com/ph ... 67&t=92552

It can often be hard to tell how big their booty is, and a crab with a big behind will want a much larger shell that what their legs and claws will predict. Especially since he's missing his backlegs, a proper sized shell is going to look too big on him right now.

It's also likely that he's having trouble judging sizes, since they generally like a shell that fits comfortably between their back legs when walking. No back legs, no way to judge on if it's a good choice. In the wild, new shells rarely come along. In his head he's got to make the right choice as fast as possible, and then possibly live with that choice for the next several years. He doesn't know he can come back after a molt and the shells will still be there.

As for your questions

1. Only if he seems like he's satisfied with the choice. If he is uncomfortable he may streak if his old shell isn't available. Give him a few days to settle in and if he doesn't go back then pull it.

2. They will always spin the shell! They need to make sure it's empty inside, and that there are no holes, or things stuck to it, and it's also how they figure out what size it is and if they'll fit in it. They also always spin it to the right so any debris inside falls out. It's like kicking the tires and looking under the hood before agreeing to a test drive. Spreading the shells out and making the surface flat so they are easier to roll will help him a lot.