Can Crabs Mutually Agree To Switch Shells Without a Fight?

Nicole · Post by **Nicole** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 3:09 pm

I had a somewhat disturbing finding when we came home tonight. I don't normally keep shells in the tank, maybe once a week due to space concerns, so I didn't think a thing of it to go away overnight and leave no shells in the tank. Anyway, when we got back I checked on the hermies and noticed that "Bunny" was unusually active (Bunny normally sleeps all the time). I was shocked to find that it was actually Snowman, and Bunny was snoozing in Snowman's old shell. They had somehow, overnight, switched shells with each other. Has anyone had this happen before? Do you think it was done without a fight? I'm worried that Bunny was pulled out of her shell, she is the weaker crab, but there doesn't yet seem to be anything wrong with her.Do you think everything will be all right? I am keeping a close eye on Bunny.

Jedediah · Post by **Jedediah** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 8:24 pm

They can do that. My parents visited the Dominican Republic a few months ago and saw a mass shell change. The biggest crab had found an empty shell, about twenty other crabs lined up next to it and everybody changed into the shell of the next crab until only the shell of the smallest crab was left empty.

NewCrabber · Post by **NewCrabber** » Sun Sep 11, 2005 9:03 pm

If you didn't have extra shells in the tank I would think that Snowman evicted Bunny from her shell. A shelljacking doesn't always result in fighting to the point of injury. A weaker crab will willing vacate without much of a fight sometimes.Too, it's possible Bunny left her shell for some reason, Snowman filled the vacancy and Bunny, feeling vulnerable jumped into Snowman's shell.I kind of doubt it was a mutual exchange, but certainly, anything is possible. I would keep an eye on her though. If she was pulled out, she may be injured. Even if she isn't injured, being forced to leave her shell can cause her to be stressed. As well, even if she abondoned it on her own, she may be stressed not being able to get it back if she wanted it.

Nicole · Post by **Nicole** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 5:07 am

Thanks all for your replies. I am hoping that nothing too violent happened. I will leave shells in the tank from now on, though, when we go away. Bunny seems OK, she usually never does much other than rest so it might be a little hard to tell with her. I did put other shells in the tank last night, and Bunny seemed satisfied with her new shell as she didn't switch to any others. Snowman has molted enough to the point where I would not have called her "the bully" anymore. She was getting so mellow. I guess the call of the chipped green turbo was just too much for her.