So after adding a hut big enough for all five of my crabs, my largest, Baldwin, sprints for it. Then my little Gines tries to get in and Baldwin is guarding the entrance, spreading out his legs. They're clashing antenna pretty bad. At one point Baldwin actually grabbed Gines' leg with his BP. He let go, so I don't think he meant any real harm. But I didn't like that, so next thing he knew The Hand of Hermie God grabbed him and dunked him in the salt water pool. By the time he got back everyone else was in the hut. So I think he got the message that the hut is public property.
Haven't seen any aggression since then. Is this common? Will I have to watch him every time I add something new or introduce a new friend?
My first time seeing territoriality, anything worrisome?
hermit crabs are social creatures, and they tend to have social rankings, at least loosely. i wouldn't be worried about the antennae "battles," and fights over desirable things like food, shelter, and shells aren't uncommon. i wouldn't worry too much - they have to deal with this all the time in the wild and have developed defenses such as regrowing limbs. if the aggression is consistent, i'd start doing timeouts and such, but this one time probably doesn't mean anything.
for that matter, i feel like it's impossible to really understand hermit crab body language. i've sen really obvious things like: one of my Es tried to climb over a PP, which obviously made the PP mad. He started "storking," or raising two of his legs up in the air as a threat. i've also seen things that weren't really threats, at least to me: a PP was sitting in the food dish eating popcorn, when an E came up. the PP just moved to face him and wiggled his antennae, and the E started back up like the PP was about to charge him or something.
for that matter, i feel like it's impossible to really understand hermit crab body language. i've sen really obvious things like: one of my Es tried to climb over a PP, which obviously made the PP mad. He started "storking," or raising two of his legs up in the air as a threat. i've also seen things that weren't really threats, at least to me: a PP was sitting in the food dish eating popcorn, when an E came up. the PP just moved to face him and wiggled his antennae, and the E started back up like the PP was about to charge him or something.
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Hmmm...yes that's all very interesting. I'll have to try to learn the lingo as best I can.
Hehehe, Baldwin had another event, sort of. He was trying to change shells, but my Zippy kept climbing over him....a lot. She was definitely trying to just annoy him. He storked a little bit too and knocked her on her back the last time she tried climbing. But can't say I blame him for that one. Didn't seem to faze the little brat either, Zippy just went to bother someone else.
Hehehe, Baldwin had another event, sort of. He was trying to change shells, but my Zippy kept climbing over him....a lot. She was definitely trying to just annoy him. He storked a little bit too and knocked her on her back the last time she tried climbing. But can't say I blame him for that one. Didn't seem to faze the little brat either, Zippy just went to bother someone else.