HCA: Hermit Crab Association

A few days ago, I had an escape. We found him crawling around the bathroom the same day. He seems to be acting normally, so I assume he is fine. But I think he gave other crabs ideas, because my dad was telling me about another escape attempt.
So, the way I have my tank set up, I have a piece of wood that comes close to the top of the tank, but away form any edges. I also have a towel over top of the tank, but about 4 inches away from the wood. My dad was telling me about how one of the crabs, Poseidon, was trying to grab onto the towel from the edge of the wood. He said that poseidon was stretching as far as he could, but was still 3 inches away form the towel. Then, he said that he backed into his shell a bit. At this point, he said that the crab seemed to "twitch" and FLING itself over to the towel! It actually bumped into the towel four inches away from it! Luckily, it didn't make it, and the fall is pretty small, so I am not worried about injury. But I can't believe it JUMPED! Has anybody else ever seen anything like this before!?!?

He might of just fallen
I think you'll have lots of escape attempts with just a towel on the tank.. is there any way to use something more sturdy, like a rubbermaid lid or something? Crabs are crafty, they can even climb up the silicone in the corners! and I have had crabs stack on top of eachother in a high area, only to have the top crab try to get out (I don't think it's intentional, he just realized he was near the top)
Moving some things around or switching out some climbing toys might help them kick their little escape craze though Just to give them something else to be excited about

There was no way it was a fall. He actually HIT the towel, whiuch as I said was about four inches away. And I am trying to come up with something to replace the towel right now. And the one that escaped before got out in an entirely different way. The wood was close to the thermometer, which he climbed on to escape. I moved the wood so that they couldn't do that anymore, but I guess that it wasn't enough to stop them!

No, they can jump! I've had Es fling themselves from my grasp and leave their shell behind, but they didn't just drop - they flew more than a foot. I thought their momentum had to do with the launching from the shell, but apparently it can be done in smaller lengths with their shell. Kinda scary, and I don't think I wanted to know that Es really can fly with shells on....

They flung OUT of their shell I'm glad this one didn't do that. That would have been REALLY scary

OK now I feel bad for doubting my mom when she said her crabs were jumping from the shell shop into the pool. I said to her "Mom, are you sure he didn't just fall?" But she insisted he jumped with what looked like purpose and proceeded to climb back up to the shell shop just to do it all over again. From now on I'll think twice before just rolling my eyes at her thought of diving hermits.

I've had my guys fling themselves backwards off branches in attempts to flee for their lives from me but I've never seen one do it in an attempt to escape. You should get a video of it next time.

WOW so I'm not crazy!!!! Several times I thought George and Toby both did a "jump" type thing weather it be into the pool or shell shop, and thought I was seeing things, now I know I'M NOT CRAZY!!!! lol

Well that explains how mine got out. Thats so weird to think hermit crabs can jump. I was always confused on how they could reach the only way out. Now I know The good thing Is that They officially can not get out. Thanks to a lid. It's still hard to wrap my mind around the fact of jumping hermit crabs lol.

OKay, so jumping is not only something that they can do, but they do often? Wow... I would never have thought

My wife fell in love with the crabs the day she saw one of my E's do a backwards jump from the cholla into the sw pool, twice.

....crabs are crazy