How do wild Hermit Crabs find their 'herd' after a molt?

Lynn T · Post by **Lynn T** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:40 am

I obviously have too much time on my hands, but while biting my nails waiting for our established Hermie to surface from her molt, so I can put our newbies in the main tank I was wondering.....In the wild, when Hermies molt, how to they reconnect with their unit after they resurface? From what I understand, Hermit Crab groups roam up to a few miles a night in search of food. Do they have territories, where they roam around? Or do they move on? Do Hermit Crabs resurfacing from a molt simply attache themselves to another group that happens to come by?Anyone know this?

Crabbie Crab · Post by **Crabbie Crab** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 3:46 pm

Good question. Another one is how do hermits when they are molting keep others from invaiding them or their air pocket colapsing when something heavy such as a human foot stepping over their area where they've burried?

Nicole · Post by **Nicole** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:03 pm

I think about this too Lynn! I always thought (or wanted to think) this is why many crabs mass molt, or go down in groups. Granted, they probably don't stay with their same herd all the time but it may keep at least some crabs together rather than one at a time going down to molt. Mine even at home will bury much at the same time, though nonetheless I bet they're surprised to come up time after time and find the same crabs looking at them. What, you again? I was really trying to lose you the last go-around! I imagine hermit crabs can readily attach themselves to any roaming group of crabs if need be though; they're fairly social. Rachael, I think it is pretty normal for not every crab to make it back up from a molt in nature. The beach is so vast that it would be impossible to disturb every crab, though, and I *think* I remember reading not so long ago that in nature crabs bury along surfaces (such as tree roots) as opposed to being out in the open to give themselves a better shot at making it through the molt and finding their way back to the surface again.

JessG1179 · Post by **JessG1179** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:06 pm

quote:nother one is how do hermits when they are molting keep others from invaiding them or their air pocket colapsing when something heavy such as a human foot stepping over their area where they've burried? i'm pretty sure in the wild they bury deep enough that stepping where they are buried would pose no harm, and it's probably deep enough that other crabs dont know they are there. i've heard Tammy from the crabbage patch (correct me if i'm wrong on that) gives her crabs 3 feet of digging room (outdoors i would imagine) and still hears them on the bottom, so just imagine how deep they go in the wild!as far as the original question... i have no idea. been keeping my eye for replys to see if anyone had any ideas. i thought maybe they just join up with a new group, but it's just a wild guess really.

Crabby Abby · Post by **Crabby Abby** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:09 pm

That certainly is an interesting question. I wonder if they have like a home base, some place that they come back to regularly after scavenging for food.

Jedediah · Post by **Jedediah** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:57 pm

I'm thinking that they don't wander off too far or if a habitat is really big, like say a few miles of beach, then crab will be all over it and the molting crabs will find company whenever they come up again.

Crabby Abby · Post by **Crabby Abby** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:02 am

I just had a funny thought. My daughter found a tiny marine crab around the rock jetty at the beach this summer. She put it in her bucket with water and sand while she looked for shells and when she reached the end of her walk we walked back to another rock dwelling at the shore line and released it. Wonder if he was cursing, "Dag nab it, don't they know how long it will take me to get home again? Man I hate when they do that!"

Nicole · Post by **Nicole** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 2:25 am

quote:Originally posted by Crabby Abby:I just had a funny thought. My daughter found a tiny marine crab around the rock jetty at the beach this summer. She put it in her bucket with water and sand while she looked for shells and when she reached the end of her walk we walked back to another rock dwelling at the shore line and released it. Wonder if he was cursing, "Dag nab it, don't they know how long it will take me to get home again? Man I hate when they do that!" We've done that too at the shore! I kind of pity them when they're released at not quite the same location. They're so cute and tiny and I picture them looking and wondering where the heck their family went.