is this happening to anyone else?

brad873 · Post by **brad873** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:26 pm

my crabs are acting odd. lightning has come up to run around (mainly to desturb Nova) and hurricane is active again. and Comet is up and about to, and shes the skittish one

. lightning woke up at arounf 5pm, and comet woke up at around 1pm, whats with this, they all have started to run around in the day and sleep at night

MudCrabDude · Post by **MudCrabDude** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:37 pm

Sounds like nothing I would be worried about.

Nocturnal land hermits is a generalization, but I've seen them in the wild out in daylight, in the open, scavenging around driftwood or where the fishermen bycatch were dumped. Most likely stragglers from the feedings the night before.

It's not like it's a symptom that they are going to kick the bucket the day after, eh? Though, I haven't kept them too long to be entirely sure...unlike, say Tonycoenobita or Carol of Crabworks....

...j/k

Tetracolor · Post by **Tetracolor** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 5:38 pm

Well, crabs are random creatures and your crabbies are being random. Nothing major, I suppose. Just that they wanted to stretch their legs.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jan 17, 2008 7:39 pm

My two Es just recently started becoming much more active during the day, aswell. I think mine is because they're adjusting to the new tank finally, though. Since they're fairly new crabs, they've been really skittish for a while.

brad873 · Post by **brad873** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 3:24 am

comey has been up all night

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:35 am

Mine do that when we're about to have a big change in the weather. Especially if we're getting heavy rain or thunderstorms, the crabs go wild just before this happens.

brad873 · Post by **brad873** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:50 am

and gess what, were having a months worth of rain in 2 days. good old crabs

irishgirl45 · Post by **irishgirl45** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 1:22 pm

mine will stay up for a couple of days straight and nap a little. Sometimes the will do this and hide to sleep.
funny how we get used to the way they are so we can watch them.
I also seem to think they do get more active when a storm is coming.
I have a barometer that I watch and it does seem to confirm my observations of more activity during storms.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 5:26 pm

Brad: I think you worry too much.

My tanks are in my office, only a few feet away from my desk. I frequently stay up until 4 am to 5 am and sleep until noon. While I'm in my office they rarely come out. But my husband, who gets up earlier, finds that they are active from about 8 to 11 am.

I don't know why they're not nocturnal but it may be because I have lights on in the office because I'm on the computer.

I'm planning on getting lights with the 12 hour settings and see if that makes a difference.

But they're healthy, have good moults, and eat well. So if they don't go strictly by the book, I don't worry about their habits. It sounds like your crabs are starting to behave similarly to mine. At this point, it doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about. And on the bright side, you get to see more of them than if they were strictly nocturnal. :?

Christa · Post by **Christa** » Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:56 pm

From what I've read, the main reason land hermits are nocturnal is that the daylight temperatures of their native habitat are too hot for their taste. This is why you can go to the Florida Keys and, during the daylight, not see a single wild hermie. At night though they come out!

Once they are in captivity, and get the ideal temperature/humidity round the clock, they are not as strictly nocturnal.

As others have pointed out, they are sensitive to changes in air pressure preceding a storm or heavy rainfall. Usually they will head for higher ground.

hc!
Christa

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 1:06 am

A lot of good points have been made here. I can tell you, that some of my hermits are definately not nocturnal, and are out & about all day. Most of my straws & violas are out all day long. Most of mine, however, are very nocturnal.

As Libbysmon & Christa have already said, weather affects their day/night activity. Even though my hermits are kept indoors, I notice strange behavior whenever a change in the weather is coming....I really have no idea how they sense it, but they do. A day or so preceeding a cold front, they spend a lot of time at the food bowls, as if they are storing up. Also, they seem to know when strong thunderstorms or tropical systems are on the way.....the, well, behave strangely & tend to hide.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association

is this happening to anyone else?

is this happening to anyone else?

Mine are like this also