Crab changed into a shell that's way too small?

[springfairy556]

Okay,

So my hermit crab, Henry changed shells today; she went into a shell that is waaay too small for him; I mean he literally can't get his big pincher in the opening.I'm concerned, because my other crab, spooky died 3 days ago, I think he got stuck in his shell.I provide plenty of shells, of different shapes, colors, sizes, textures.I do not give them painted shells. Right now I only have one crab as my other one died saturday.I have 6 shells in the tank and is staying in this pathetic small shell; I even have a bigger version of this shell.

Another concern of mine is, today I was holding him; he pinched me and pinched me good(this little guy's got a pinch) I didn't expect it, I jumped and he fell on to the table; now he is digging holes in his substract.Did I hurt him? This is new substract that we're trying out that my sister bought from someone who raises hermit crabs; Henry seems to enjoy it; but suddenly he's digging a hole, a very deep hole too.I don't think he's molting as he just finished molting 2 months ago(His 3rd molt) I'm just concerned I hurt him.I didn't mean to drop him, the pinch scared me.

[Rocky]

He shouldn't be stuck unless there's wet paint inside the shell (which, morbidly enough, has happened) some crabs are just cosier in small shells that are easier to carry around As long as his abdomen is inside the shell, then it's not "too small" in his opinion. Es have a real tendancy to do this.
How far did he fall? If he's running around and digging, I don't think you hurt him You probably spooked him a little. Which might be why he's digging, but I also suspect the new exciting substrate is also what's making him dig for fun (which crabs will do It's a bit of a pain, since they can be so messy about it)
Just keep an eye on him and if he's acting normal, then he's fine

[speeddemonbk]

Crabs are weird. My crab did like the opposite. She changed into a huge shell that she could barely move. After two days she gave up and switched into a more manageable shell. They are like shoes, sometimes the comfy ones are odd ones. He'll switch to a new shell if he feels he needs it. My other won't switch out of his shell which I feel is too small, but I know he'll do it when he chooses.

As for the fall, hermies are tough little critters as long as you didn't drop him from like 50ft onto concrete he should be alright.

[crabbycolony]

if you drop the from 3 ft on to a hard surface they can rupture their abdomen. So i agree, 50 ft would be death for sure.
As for the shells as long as the abdomen is covered and there are other shells so it's not like it was force into that shell it's fine. Houdini went in a shell so small that he couldn't retract into it at all. when he got scared he would squeeze his legs together but his abdomen was covered so he was fine. and get this, he tried to eat a molter and got his claw ripped of, and after he fit in the shell!!!

[springfairy556]

He fell less than a foot.

I have been keeping on eye on him, he's digging a deep deep hole.Today; I lifted the hut up and he was naked! Just running around the tank with out a shell on in the nude. I placed the shell next to him and he went back in.Not really running; just going about his business; eating, digging, climbing, just in the nude...

Tonight he's burying himself; now I would think perhaps he's going to molt, but he molted a month ago.

[crabbycolony]

if he goes without a shell again put him in a cup or bowl with a lot of shells his size, make sure he can't get out, and keep him in there until he changes

[GudaHermitCrab]

Sometimes crabbies just do that...For some reason some of them might prefer smaller shells like someone above said. I bought a hermie and his shell is WAY too small for him (he can arely fit his eyes in there..his legs just hang out!), but there are MANY different shells for him to choose from, some are JUST the right size for him...but no, he just won't change out of it! He's not stuck or anything. Crabbies can be weird sometimes