HCA: Hermit Crab Association

My daughter has a hermie named silver ( his shell he came with was a silvery whitigsh grey color). he is a sneaky little bugger. We think he stole part of one hermies exo and i caught him trying to steal anothers. However my issue is with how he does things. Today when Gen and I got home, He had switched too his original shell he came with. within 10 minutes time while we were moving around and making noise, he did a quick switch back to the fancy polished shell (no paints or laquers used). I know some crabs switch to clean their shells of any excess poop or debris, but is it normal for that fast of a trade out? One night my daughter actually saw him in the process of switching.

I have one crab that could chang eup to 3 times a day. he goes to one that is entirely to small to one that fits him great to one that is WAY WAY to big for him. You just never know. There might be sand or something in one thats bothering him.

My crabs have changed out of their shells for roughly a day each, only to go right back to the originals.

well silver got his old shell taken away from him. another crab has laid claim to it