Should Hermit Crabs Be Kept as Pets?

Nicole · Post by **Nicole** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

I have often thought about this. If we could breed them in captivity, I don't think there would be a problem at all. I think there needs to be much more responsible "harvesting", at the very least, plus better shipping methods, better petstore care, and higher hermie prices to cut down on the impulse buying. I know that I am doing the best that I can to take care of my hermies. They will never breed again, true, but they are also away from all predators and are assured of constant food and water and safety. Most of my molts have been good. I am hoping they live quite long with me. And for the most part, my tank is clean and well-cared for.What makes me angriest is the fact that so many crabs are harvested and treated improperly after that. Not too many people see them as a "serious" pet, which makes it all the more likely they will have bad molts, short lives, and disease. There are no easy answers. What I can say, though, is that I would not give up my hermies, under any circumstances. I spend hundreds of dollars (literally!) trying to make sure that they have the happiest indoor home around. JMO.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

This is something that I have been thinking a lot about recently. I have lost 2 crabs in one month- kind of makes one wonder how well these kiddos do in captivity... even doing everything possible to make the hermies safe and comfortable, conditions in captivity can never exactly match those conditions in the wild. But...Some of the conditions not met are good changes! I know my crabs dont have to worry about being eaten by birds or starving. I just lost one of my hermies to a bad molt- but who is to say that can't happen in the wild? I would say that very few hermies in the wild live to 20 or 30 years, just as very few hermies in captivity live that long.I get such enjoyment from these guys. They really do my heart a lot of good. It is a difficult thing to admit that captivity may not be the ideal life for them, but I do not believe it is all bad. After all, hermies in the wild do not have surrogate mommies spending every spare dime on yummy treats, cuttlebone, lots and lots of clean shells, climbing toys galore, heaters, etc, etc! Heck, my crabs have me COOKING for them! For people like us who take the time and care to educate themselves on providing the best home possible for hermies, I think captivity can be a pretty good option next to a natural, wild life. And it is people like us that need to set the standard and take a stand against things like crabinacup, unsafe shipping/harvesting, and careless petstores. We can improve the quality of life for captive hermies one crab at a time

tnyfootprntz · Post by **tnyfootprntz** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

Thanks for bringing up what's obviously been gnawing at everyones brains and tugging at our heartstrings, as well. I'm another one of those Moms who said "OKaay, you can get a hermit crab" to her 10 year old boy, "but you have to pay for it and learn how to take care of it yourself." You just never know what path you'll be led down upon making one decision or another. I consider my stumbling into this whole crabbing deal to be a personal blessing, as it has provided a perfectly wonderful hobby for my son and I to enjoy together. We marvel over these amazing creatures! Not to mention, I thoroughly enjoy being a part of this forum! As for the issue of whether or not people should keep them as pets... I say only those who are willing to take on the responsibiliy and respect the true gifts these creatures are. There's no way to adequately assure that the right pets (of any kind) land in the right hands, though, so what's the solution? Make prices higher? Make people sign some sort of pet adoption agreement? Make pet store owners be more responsible?

TheGreyRonin · Post by **TheGreyRonin** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

Why do we keep any pets? You can prove that any pet of any species is more likely to have a better life in many ways with a caring owner, but the question of Do we have the right? is always there. The question of a short, decent life as opposed to a long, rough one also applies. I lived in Florida as a child. I've seen what happens to wild hermit crabs, and between "Nature, red in tooth and claw" and the continued destruction of the environment, I'd have to say hermit crabs with caring owners are better off, hands down. (Don't get me started on reproduction; ask your nearest Catholic priest if he'd give up his lifestyle for a night in the sack.) In the end, my decision to keep hermit crabs boils down to this: Seven of my nine were harvested, dragged to one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth, kept in a tiny, crowded tank by idiots looking to make a quick buck, and have found a caring owner instead of death. Given my distance from a beach and the likelihood of them dying if I tried to transport them far enough to be free, I personally am entirely comfortable with the fact that I have been blessed to keep company with these wondrous creatures. *steps off soapbox, sits quietly*

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

What's sad is for the same price they could be selling a fairly well set up ten gallon, but then they couldn't get the impulse shoppers I suppose. *sigh* Sorry, I just get fed up with the way they're treated and the actions of what seems like the majority of those in the pet-trade.

KittyCaller · Post by **KittyCaller** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

The environment destruction is a major problem, it's true. These animals have an extremely important niche as major scavengers, as well. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I would absolutely love it if these crabs got placed in the same "importance" category as relatively difficult to care for reptiles. If they did, yes the price on the animals would raise, but so would care and knowledge. If the cost is 20 dollars per crab as opposed to 2 dollars, then there would be a lot less impulse shopping and a lot of the "throw away pet" mentality would be deminished as well. Plus, companies would be forced to provide decent products to keep up.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

The mall kiosks are actually kind of pricey. I hadn't seen hermit crabs for sale in a while (never looked in that section at PetSmart) and I paid $14.95 for one crab and $9.95 for the other, and they're just medium-sized PPs. Actually they based the price on the size of the shell, which is kinda funny because now that they've switched shells the bigger one is now the smaller one. All in all I spent $68 for the carrier and the hermie hut and the shell-and-palm tree feeder. Which of course was only the tip of the iceberg after I realized they needed at least a 10gal, LOL. I noticed they have left the mall already, probably on to some other mall.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

This is a very interesting subject. I've been thinking about this for a while, so I'm really glad you posted this.Why do I have hermit crabs? I have them because I give them a better life than the petstore they came from. I know my tank is not the beach. The water dishes aren't the ocean. The warmth isn't the sun shining down on them. But my tank is more survivable than the petstores that previously owned them. I know they are taken from the wild to be put in tanks, possibly to be handed to a careless owner, but I know there are knowledgable people out there to inform those who aren't. Those "carless owners" might do as you tell them, therefore giving the hermit crab(s) a better home(better than the petstore). I was once one of those "careless owners" as one has called me before. But I did research and today, my hermies have a home similar to their naitive environment, but not quite the same.Many of us have dogs, cats, horses, rats, ect. Those animals, most likely their relatives, have been taken from the wild I believe everything I've said, but that's just my honest opinion.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

I agree that, in the end, there is nothing wrong with owning companion animals--so long as you are fully aware of the responsibilities and care involved and are willing to provide that care faithfully. I also agree with Ook in that "rescuing" crabbies from shops that give them substandard care is not truly rescuing them, as such shops will just replace them and consign yet more hermies to sickness and death. Why give such places your business?!? I am fortunate that the local pet shops in this area all treat their crabbies well, and I've had no deaths due to sickness or stress (knock on wood). And, thankfully, the evil mall kiosk in the area disappeared after Christmas. We must all, in the end, make consessions to live in society. We neuter our cats and dogs so that they make better pets, we stick our children in day cares and preschools so that we can continue our adult lives, birds get their wings clipped so that they cannot harm themselves in our homes or fly away.....on and on the list continues. It might be better to handle things differently, but we do what we must do to get as many needs met as possible. Our hermies cannot breed but, as others have noted, they *do* get food and shelter and protection from the elements. If hermies *always* died young when in captivity I would argue that it is wrong to keep them. However, many crabbers have managed to keep their crabbies happy and healthy for the length of their natural lifespan, 25 years or more. So, to me, if you are a caring parent--whether it be for children, pets or hermies--it should be OK to take "babies" under your wing.laura

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

I'm glad you posted this. I was very ignorant about hermit crabs and their care when I bought them on impulse for my son. However, I am a responsible pet owner and I've had many pets in my life, so I went to work learning all about them. I really didn't know that they could not be bred in captivity. I honestly never thought about it until I owned some. Now I'm torn between wanting to own many and then again knowing that they all must be caught in the wild. We're removing breeding stock from the wild and this can't be a good thing. On the one hand I feel like I rescued four crabs from subpar conditions in the mall and pet store...yet people like me buying them will only serve to keep the demand high enough to continue their capture. Perhaps higher prices combined with research into breeding in captivity, maybe in huge tanks at aquarium parks like SeaWorld or something like that, would be an answer. I feel selfish saying that I like to keep them and watch them, but I do!Thought-provoking discussion, thanks...I almost posted something similar!

moire_eel · Post by **moire_eel** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

I feel that I do far more to improve the care of hermit crabs by continuing to be involved in the hobby. It's rare for me to visit a pet store that sells crabs and not share some care advice, either with the staff or with customers. If I made the decision not to keep crabs because they are wild caught (an entirely reasonable decision, which I respect) then I would probably have fewer opportunities to educate. I think responsible caretakers aren't the problem -- poor treatment by distributers, pet stores, and crab owners (whether or not due to ignorance) is the real issue here.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

For the most part, I agree strongly with just about everything that has been said here. One thing that I have noticed though, is that many people have simply dismissed the possibility of hermits breeding in captivity, with the attitude, "they can't breed, but they make great pets otherwise", or something to that effect. To me, it seems as if people are acknowledging that hermits have not yet successfully reproduced in the tank environment, so why try? As many have seen in the reptile world, some of the first successful reproduction efforts have started on the hobbyist level. Sure, there is a huge research facility that has successfully reproduced E's, thus leaving us with the thoughts that it can only happen in that type of large-scale, research situation. I disagree with this based upon the observations I have made from my own colony. I have had the chance to observe behaviors and sounds from my crabs that, as far as I know, not many other people have observed. These have led me to try new things to further give my hermits the chance they may need to continue their next generation. For example, I am in the process of finishing a 100 gallon tank (or thereabouts, it was a freebie and they didn't know the size), complete with filtered fresh water and salt water pools, and various other elements to further encourage any breeding behavior or natural behaviors that would occur in a wild situation. I've spent many years trying to get people away from the harvesting of wild caught stock by captive breeding various reptiles that are commonly WC for purchase, and I plan on continueing this with my little hermit crabs. So, after all this incoherrent rambling (I'm on cold medicine to boot), my point is, don't dismiss the possibility of your crabs breeding in captivity. If that is the one thing they are missing in your honest opinions, why don't you try to help them recapture that? After all, wouldn't it be great to someday go to a pet store and see "Captive Bred Strawberry Hermit Crabs" for sale?

Jedediah · Post by **Jedediah** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:24 pm

I always try to breed my exotic pets and I'd love to breed my hermies. When I have enough room for them, I want to set up a crabitat with a tide pool, mangroves ect. I once saw PPs at a zoo that has a huge mangrove jungle, but as far as I know they don't breed there.The problem with hermit crabs is that they take so long to reach a size that people will buy. It's the same with Emperor Scorpions - they can be bred in captivity but take so long to reach the size everybody thunks of when they hear Emperor Scorpion. So many people prefer a wild caught adult animal. But still - if only a few people will buy captivitybred crabs, it's a good thing.