White Hermit Crabs

[crabmama]

I was in a pet store a few days ago getting some supplies for one of my other animals and I saw white hermit crabs. They didn't look like pale unhealthy crabs. They were just white, and they weren't lethargic or anything. Why are they white? Are they unhealthy? The crabitat looked good, ESPECIALLY for a pet store. I tried looking it up but I didn't really find any results...

[CallaLily]

Where are you located, if you don't mind sharing? Younger, smaller crabs of many species tend to be paler than older, larger crabs of the same species. Juvenile Straws can be white and I think Ruggies of all ages/sizes can be too. Juvenile PPs tend to be more tans and pale pinks and younger Es blueish or greenish grays.

[MuseCrazy]

Yup juvenile perlatus are all white with just the red on their feelers and the ruggies can be cream colored. PPs cream colored too with the blue/purple on their PPs.

[crabmama]

I live in Florida, if it makes any difference. If you google "white hermit crab" you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm new on here and I don't know how to post a picture. They weren't pale pink or anything though. Do they stay white for their entire lives? They were very pretty but if it means they are in poor health then I don't want to buy any.

[MuseCrazy]

I live in Florida, if it makes any difference. If you google "white hermit crab" you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm new on here and I don't know how to post a picture. They weren't pale pink or anything though. Do they stay white for their entire lives? They were very pretty but if it means they are in poor health then I don't want to buy any.

The pic you're referring to is of juvenile strawberries (coenobita perlatus) Google pics of them and you'll see the same thing. They turn red over time. I have 3 and they're mostly done putting on their color.

[kip.rogers357]

The only pictures that google showed me were of Aussies (and I doubt that's what you saw) and juvenile E's which sometimes come in shades of white and light orange, once they reach adulthood they turn more of a brown color.
As calla mentioned they might be ruggies or juvenile straws


Juvenile Straw http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... =8&ndsp=12


Ruggie http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... t=0&ndsp=8

Ecuadorian http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 20&ndsp=12


Aussie http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... =9&ndsp=13

[hermitcrab101]

I've seen juvinile blueberries that have been white, ruggies, E's, malnourished and juvinile straws can also be white. Coenobita Scavolea are white, but theres no way one could end up in a U.S. pet store. I think it's a juvinile straw or an older one thats not being fed enough caratone causing him to loose his color.

[CallaLily]

Ecuadorian http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 20&ndsp=12

I've never seen an E that pale before. It's difficult to see the pic on my phone but thanks for sharing that! I've only seen blues, grays, yellows, oranges, and browns in Es. Some pics that look a little greenish.

[crabmama]

The only pictures that google showed me were of Aussies (and I doubt that's what you saw) and juvenile E's which sometimes come in shades of white and light orange, once they reach adulthood they turn more of a brown color.
As calla mentioned they might be ruggies or juvenile straws


Juvenile Straw http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... =8&ndsp=12


Ruggie http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... t=0&ndsp=8

Ecuadorian http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 20&ndsp=12


Aussie http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... =9&ndsp=13

Maybe Google showed me different pictures because of where I live?? Like one time this guy in Russia let me use his Netflix account and it wasn't American stuff lol... Maybe Google is like that?? Most of the pictures that came up when I googled it didn't look like the Aussie in your picture.

[wodesorel]

If you're signed into google, it remembers past searches and adapts the results. So, for those of us who are always googling hermit crab stuff, we get different results.

Can you link us to the photos that are similar to what you saw? Generally pale hermit crabs are just younger animals or a known color variation of certain species, like Aussies. I've never believed that color has anything to do with health - hermit crabs come in a range of shades naturally, and there's seemingly no reason why one is white or one is orange or one is purple aside from what can happen within a species. It's genetics that control that, not diet or health, or else an entire tank of crasb would always end up the same exact color. There are cases where it's a sign of a crab that is immediately post-molt, but that's a completely different kind of worry!