HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My Vodka has a strange habit, every time someone picks him up he pulls at the skin, rips off some skin eats it (sometimes going in for second or third helpings ) before he is alright with you holding him.
He does that with every body that holds him (1-3) but he does it 3-5 times to me. do you thing his sensory system is "down"? (and why does he "taste me more times than complete "strangers"? - well not really "complete" )
I let him though as he is alright after wards (very active and friendly) and i noticed that if i dont let him he doesnt come out of his shell (at all).
I am really confused!

you = food

kuza wrote:you = food

yes legit
but it is still weird
try to get a vid of it

My baby Es used to do this. I think they still would now, but instead of being cute and little and having it tickle they could probably just take my finger off with how much they've grown.

She was picking at me in this pic:

omg that's little E is soooo cute. To this day I've still only let one crab walk in my hand once, and she latched onto my finger for 5 min... so that was the last time too, lol. It's funny to have someone my size so scared of such little creatures, but they pack a real punch. It's a mutual respect here

One of my Es tried to eat me once. This has also happened with a purple shore crab. One of my pps got über angry and was trying to pinch me so I carried him on a extra pair of pants. He attacked and then began eating them. Sometimes we are food and I think if they are scard sometimes they have a fight flight or eat response lolz

Wow your E looks like my Vod. I think my Vod claw is outa wack, there claws look similar.

aussieJJDude wrote:Wow your E looks like my Vod. I think my Vod claw is outa wack, there claws look similar.

They look VERY much alike! I have to be honest - only way I know it's an aussie crab is by someone's location.

Amun-ra use to do this all the time, though I thought it was cause I had just gotten out of work, where I deal with sea food. My PP Horus does this alot too, though usually with my hoodie or my pants, not my hands. I agree with the fight, flight or eat response, I swear if they don't know what it is, they eat it.

here is a pic:



(or 3 )

I would be closing my door when I went to bed for fear of being eaten over night.

They are in my bedroom so closing the door wont help!
edit: Vodka is so small that he can get under my door

My tank is in the room next to my room, and one night, in bed, Benjamin CLIMBED ONTO MY SHOULDER!!!!!

Wait, in the night you woke up with a crab on you? lolz that is so silly. A little odd, but very silly. I feel like it would be a huge relief. You feel something crawling and it's like "Oh, no, ugly bug." Then you turn on the light, and it's just a hermit crab. Though I imagine for some people the idea of waking up with a crab on them is just as frightening lolz.

Maybe the crab wanted to go to the toilet (like a dog)
or it was hungry or or...