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Question for my aunt
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2012 10:08 am
by Nnnnnnnn
Is molting really needed?? She thinks I'm crazy, Help.
Re: Question for my aunt
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2012 10:14 am
by CrabbyMom33
Yes, molting is the only way a crab can grow and/or repair damage. It is critically necessary for their survival. Much like a snake must shed its skin to be able to grow, a crab must shed it's hard exoskeleton to grow.
Here's a good article from the Hermit Crab Patch on molting that she might like to read:
http://www.hermitcrabpatch.com/Hermit-C ... -a/138.htm
Re: Question for my aunt
Posted: Fri Nov 23, 2012 1:07 pm
by JamesR
Is oxygen really needed for humans? They can survive without it. Sure, they'd survive a whole lot longer with it, but it's not really necessary is it?
Yes, it is. And so is molting for hermit crabs. Molting is a natural, hugely important part of a hermit crab's life. And just like if you cut off oxygen from a human long enough, crabs will surely die if they aren't able to molt. They may struggle through some surface molts, unbearably stressed and presumably experiencing pain.