John-the world's oldest living hermit crab

[robinwhiskers]

I was reading articles online on Johnathan Livingston Crab, the world's oldest living captive hermit crab. He's 40 years old! I also watched a news interview with his owner, Carol Ormes of Crabworks. I'm very interested in what the secret is to the crab living that long. When I heard that the crab roams the house all day I was concerned with how it didn't get stressed or how the humidity change wouldn't effect it (not saying that it doesn't). I can tell she is an awesome crab owner, but she did starting crabbing a long time ago so her care is different (the tank's substrate is thin gravel and the crab has no saltwater?) and he goes into a special tub when he shows signs of molting. What do you guys think about it all? I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just very curious about it even though I'd never do it.

[Hermias_mom]

Have you searched HCA forums for Johnathan Crab or Carol Ormes using the Advanced Search engine? I did that a while back and found a couple threads on here talking about Johnathan Crab. If you haven't checked those threads out, it might be something neat to look at.

[wodesorel]

It's worked for her for 40 years, and his companion Kate passed only a few year ago at I think 37. Her big thing is that she was a microbiologist, so she wanted to make sure the tank stayed biologically friendly to them. I'm not sure if it's luck, or that she did something special with their tank, or if all the time roaming around boosted their immune systems and made them healthier or what. All of the known longest living crabs in captivity have been singletons or in pairs, so that probably plays a large part in her success.

They don't roam the house all day, or at least they didn't when she worked. She would get them out in the evenings after she got home for around 4 hours, she said if she didn't then they would completely destroy their tank overnight! Humidity never seemed to bother them as she lived with them in New Jersey for 25+ years before moving to Florida.

As far as the substrate, think of it as a really chunky sand. They don't actually produce the grain she used anymore, so she's been washing and reusing it for a very long time. I remember reading the posts from when she decided to try coconut fiber for molting for the first time, it was in the mid-90's. She liked the gravel better for daily use so she could keep it cleaner, and then since they would molt for months on end and never together she would separate them out so they would stay safe.

Unfortunately there isn't a lot of history left here on the HCA. There was a crab wiki I think at the Crab Street Journal that had some collected information about her and saved posts from long ago, not sure if it's still around. When I started crabbing her old Usenet group was still online, as was her original webpage, so I got to read a lot about how she did things during the '90s. (Fish flakes were a staple of their diet and and mini-wieners were a treat at the holidays.) A lot of it flies in the face of anyone trying to recreate a natural environment, but I have to admit after reading about her methods I've laxed up a lot with mine over the years.

[aussieJJDude]

Her style of crabbing is indeed what most crabbers done in past years. Which brings back to the idea that there is more than one way to successfully keep crabs.
We use to recommend that moulting crabs were separated from the main tank, hence the need of an iso. I remember when first starting out the idea of using an iso to moult was nearly out of practise, except a few hobbyists recommended as such. It was only in the recent years that i haven't hear much about it, which i think has something to do with keeping ones mouth shut to appeal the masses. Im sure there is pockets of crabbers that still iso besides carol.
We still encourage that all crabs have regular access to sw for shell water purposes, and i believe that carol does allow Jonathan to bathe in sw once a week if i am not mistaken.....

Edit. I still remember a year or so ago on another forum crabbers were suggesting the idea that out of tank time and regular exercise increased the lifespan of carols crabs, which is an interesting thought since im the wild they have an unlimited area to roam and then confined into a small glass box. It is an interesting theory regardless whether it is correct or not.
But carol did help advance the longevity of crabs such as heat and humidity, which at the time every few, if any did. And she also was one of the first to allow moulting crabs a hiding place and let them eat their exoskeleton.... if i am not mistaken she used a slate box.....

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[wodesorel]

She was always very hands on during molts and would go in and help them get their exo off, if I remember correctly. That was where the slate came into play, so she could easily get to them.

[aussieJJDude]

She was always very hands on during molts and would go in and help them get their exo off, if I remember correctly. That was where the slate came into play, so she could easily get to them.

Ahh. Though so, glad that my memory hasnt completely failed me.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[GotButterflies]

One of the best things I have ever done for my crabs is give them the modified hamster wheels! They love them! Last year I adopted some hermies from a nice gentleman that had a hermit that used to try to constantly try to escape the tank. He told me that he used to allow Pinchy time out of his crabitat. Since I've had them, I added a wheel, and Pinchy has never tried to escape and walks the wheel on a regular basis I agree that they need their exercise!! It is important! I admire Carol and everything that she has done for the crabbing community!

[robinwhiskers]

Lots of interesting responses! Hmm, should I make an effort to take my hermit crabs out more? I saw I could get a hamster ball, spray the inside, and let them roll around a closed room for 20 minutes a day (for the crabs that are not digging or molting). Is that a good idea? I have three small PP's for over a year now.

[Lorne_Clawstrong]

That's really amazing. I've been wondering how old some of the hermit crabs are that people keep on this forum. I have heard that they can live 20+ years, so with all the great care that people here seem to provide their crabs, how old have you all been able to successfully raise them to? When I was a kid, the prevalent wisdom was that they needed to be provided with some gravel and a water sponge. But back then, home Internet access still wasn't a thing yet, so most people were generally in the dark about proper crab care. Things have come a long way (though sadly, many still seem to be willfully ignorant).

I was reading above that some people seem to think that the success with John and Kate was partly due to their ability to free-roam their owner's home in Florida. I understand the climate would be generally to their liking, since they are native to the southern most portion of Florida, after all. But don't people in Florida cool their homes with central air like the rest of the country? I would think that would nullify the whole climate aspect of the equation. And if that were the case -- based on what I've heard around here -- they would suffer, since their modified gills required moist air in order to function correctly.

[wodesorel]

Carol lived in New Jersey for the first 15-20 years she had them, so Florida climate can be ruled out!

She is a unique case because she had a pair of hermits survive this long. You'll find people with one crab who made it, mostly because the crab itself is a hardy individual who was able to adapt to unnatural conditions. We see crabs 10 to 20 years in captivity needing rehomed due to a variety of reasons and the conditions have been similar to what you describe.

Personally, I think part of the reason why hers did so well is that she is a microbiologist. She was always thinking about bacteria and cleanliness and was thinking about what else might affect them.

[LadyJinglyJones]

Aaand just for quick refs, here's the crabworks picture page link, y'know, so curious parties can take a gander:

http://web.archive.org/web/200910262351 ... abs/carol/