GUIDE to EXOTIC Hermit Crab SPECIES!!

[Guest]

No, they are only native to Australia. Funny how strawberries have managed to get to the US but not CCs. DVSGAL, binker&blitz, Lanky and other Aussie members might have some pics. I know DVS does in her photo album.

[Guest]

We left it off since C. variabilis are not here in the U.S. yet. It would just cause more confusion. It was primarily a US species list.

I was wondering... are variabilis ever going to be included in the list? I mean, there are crabbers here who own that species. Maybe some of those crabbers could give their input on variabilis so they can be added to the species list?

[Guest]

how do you tell the difference between a cavipe and a rug??

Easiest:

Look for a line of 'dashes' (stridulatory ridge) across the top front of the big pincer, C. rugosus has them, C. cavipes do not.

Some other differences:

Eyestalks - C. cavipes has a slight forward curve to the eyestalks. Also, they tend to be darker, without the white part of C. rugosus.

Pincer pattern - C. cavipes has a dark, smooth 'blob' on across bottom half of the pincers, usually red, orange, or brown. Usually has two colors to the pincers. C. rugosus has a black/white stripe across the middle of the pincers, plus pincers usually have multi-colored setaed markings.

Pincer shape - C. cavipes has longer 'arrow-shaped' pincers. C. rugosus is more squarish.

Back left walking leg - C. rugosus has a 'corner-edge' to the left rear walking leg, that seals up against the shell when withdrawn. C. cavipes doesn't have as shape an edge to the leg.

[Guest]

how can you tell the diffrence in PP and Indos? I thought mine were PP and now I'm not sure....

[Guest]

with my indos and pps, my pps have a darker purple pincher and reddish-maroonish legs. the indos are a lighter lavendar color and their legs are purple also.

[Guest]

You can also tell by eyes. Indos are cylinderical (seen from the tip),

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PPs are like 'fat comma' shaped.

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Also, Indos have dark eyestalks all the way, most PPs have a lighter colored eyestalks.

[Guest]

Aussie land hermits (AHC) are very similar to E's.
They have short feelers, but long antennules , their eyestalks are compressed (side-to-side) and they come in a variety of browns and creams. They have black spots.
They are very active when awake and when held they can't sit still, they move really fast.
Mine don't really pinch me when they are held (even the new ones) and will come out of their shells.
They also seem to love changing shells, even to ones that are too big for them (look at my Avatar). They love looking at shells, inspecting shells and moving shells out of their way. They also love digging up the tank; burrowing in many places.
I haven't seen them attack eachother, but if one of the smaller ones gets in the larger ones way, or disturbs him while he's munching happily on a sultana, he will use his front leg to push them away.
Also, some of the smaller ones use the back of their shell and reverse walk into another crab to move them. :roll:
They also seem to like walking in reverse in general, well maybe only sometimes.

Since they live in the Mangroves and along coastlines, I put in some Mangrove root in their tank. They seem to enjoy (climb) it and sometimes eat it.

[Guest]

Gosh Tom thank you so much! That was definitley time consuming. went to the mall yesterday and hit the crab shack there and just had to mess with the girl. I asked her what type of hermit crabs she was selling and she got snippy and said what do you mean. I said what type, she goes hermit crabs there are no types. She then hands me a care sheet! LMAO!

[Guest]

I just looked at your recognition information and it is awesome. I have been trying to compile that information to figure out what kind of crabs i have. This is GREAT!
THANK YOU!!!!!

[Guest]

Crabstreetjournal has a good section of identifying photos:
http://www.crabstreetjournal.com/species/

[Guest]

Yay Thankx I figured out that my Iggy is really an Indo, not a PP!

[Guest]

Hello all!! I need some help identifing my new crabby. He's the biggest I got. Hense the name Monster. He's about the size of a tennis ball(w/shell). He's VERY hairy. His bp is purple and smooth with no marks on it. His body color is maroon. The tips of his legs go from red to white. He has black spots. His eyes are dark red and he has long feelers. I think it's a cav, but I don't know if other species are hairy or get hairy as they get bigger. He was in a babalon(sp) that was 2 small when i got him, but changed into a turbo(had both in his size). I don't have a digital camera or a scanner, so I can't put up a pic(would be to easy). Please help me!! I've looked at alot of pictures and can't tell for sure. I know you can't help me for sure with out a picture, but I would really appreciate any help at all. Thanks in advance!! Everyone is so great here!!

[Guest]

From the description of the colors, it sounds like a PP to me. A picture would definitely help (post it in the pic forum).

Here's a link to a pic of a hairy crab:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/549 ... 9855jyhZSD
Is that how yours looks? (that pic is not my crab)

[Guest]

Wow!!! That is hairy!!!
No mine isn't that hairy lol.
He's moderately hairy compared to that, but has a clump of hair on his bp.
Thanks for the help, I just want to make sure that no one is alone.
Actually, he has the coloring of pic 21 and the hair of pic 5.