HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello everyone. Before I begin, I'm not sure where to post this but I chose here since it kind of fits?

Just now I was checking my crabs and I noticed this weird...thing next to my food dish. It's a reddish color similar to my big crab, who is showing signs of molting, and it's also shaped kind of like a leg? But I can't tell and I'm pretty scared. I looked at him and his legs are all normal, none look different in any way.
I should mention this might have been under the substrate for awhile. He's been making huge messes and making mounds of it. The thing doesn't look like any food I give. I'm not sure what else to mention. Here's some pics:



Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

It looks like a leg to me.
Is it hollow? If so, it could be part of his exoskeleton that he didn't eat.

I agree, it looks like a leg to me as well. If nobody is missing a leg then it probably is old exo like aussiejjdude said.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It's one side of a leg then but very soft. I was just scared he was somehow molting while walking... heh. I worry too much. Thank you guys

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

I agree it looks like an old leg. The only two things I could think of that it looks like could be dehydrated shrimp piece. Though you covered it not looking like anything you feed them. Or it kinda looks like a piece of cco fiber. Hope alls well either way.

Hershozz wrote:It's one side of a leg then but very soft. I was just scared he was somehow molting while walking... heh. I worry too much. Thank you guys

The moult is fast, but its not that fast! To conserve energy, they will often dig down and moult in peace - and to reduce predation. Once moulted, they basically unable to move as they contain no "skeleton", so can't support movement