what to do when a hermit crab pinches you

[StarWarsHermitCrab]

I have had hands on experience with being pinched by My hermit crab violet and the
best thing to do is to stay calm, freaking out is going to scare the hermit crab and probably
make the hermit crab tighten their grip, so don't freak out put your hand in the enclosure
and wait for the hermit crab to let go.

It doesn't hurt that bad to be pinched by a hermit crab, to get an idea of what it feels like
try pinching your self as hard as you can, thats what it feels like.


I hope this helps anyone who hasn't been pinched.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

Liar! Lol I got pinched so bad by a large/extra large that it cut me open in 2 places and bruised to the bone. I almost had to go in for stutches. You can ask Megmaholm how bad it was. It was bad. I was sobbing uncontrollably from the pain and trying to stay calm wasn't easy but I did it. I shook from pain and adrenaline He held on for what felt like forever but what was actually 6 minutes. It took 5 weeks to heal up all the way and not hurt when touched or using my hand. Jumbo crabs can snap through a no 2 pencil in just a few pinches. Being pinched is no joke. The little ones don't hurt as much but they can still really hurt.

[casssch]

This is exactly why I'm getting small ones. I'm scared to death of being pinched!

[megmaholm]

The small ones hurt too! I have a cranky female that latched onto me one day and broke the skin, no problem. No blood drawn but it still hurt. The smaller ones are usually more feisty and seem pinchier - my bigger guys can't be bothered to open their BPs at me. I have a healthy respect for them though, because I don't want to have a situation like Kelly described!

[casssch]

I imagine they do, but I figured smaller pinchers means smaller pain. My sister had a huge crab about 10 years ago and the thing frightened me so bad I said I'd never get one.

[StarWarsHermitCrab]

Kellycrabbielove thats horrifying, I hope that never happens to me but I probably
have a higher pain tolerance because My cats are always beating me up.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

When your hips separate at the tailbone and pubic bone and move independently from one another you'll know pain. It happened during my last pregnancy. During delivery the dr could hear bone grinding bone and told me she was shocked that I didn't black out from it. I am hardcore. Haha! I was a cop for years too. Pepper spray, being tazed, different types of combat fighting in academy. Lol plus 3 pregnancies. I don't think my pain tolerance could be any higher. That crab pinch was still ranking up there. I don't blame him. He had just got to the pet store that day and was scared and hungry. He was literally trying to eat my skin. I hope you (and everyone else of course) never have to feel that. I take it lightly now and I'm not afraid of my big guys but when I think of the pinch I instinctively look at my hand. Poor guy was so stressed...he ended up streaking and when I finally got him shelled he dug down and died...

[StarWarsHermitCrab]

When I was 6 me and one of my sisters were running around the house and
I split my head open on the counter in the kitchen.

[StarWarsHermitCrab]

I've had my nose broken by my sister.
I've had my finger bitten through by a cat.
One of my sisters dropped a can of pinto beans on my head.
I've stubbed my toes 1000+ times and my pinky toes are broken.
And other things I can't remember right now, but those things
probably don't hurt as bad as what you said.

[wodesorel]

This is exactly why I'm getting small ones. I'm scared to death of being pinched!

Worst pinch I ever had was from the smallest crab I ever owned. I was stupid and was poking at it's teensy weensy wittle cwaw cause it was so cwute. And then it pinched me. Under my finger nail. And didn't let for. For over 15 minutes. I was screaming. That thing hurt for DAYS.

(Yeah, under normal circumstances that wouldn't happen. Just don't be stupid like me. )

I've had my finger bitten through by a cat.

A good pinch from a good sized crab is on par with a cat bite. I've been bitten by cats twice to where I had to go to the ER, and I would say the pain is similar. Cat bites are a thousand times worse only because of the infection that sets in after the bite. At least with a crab pinch it heals without that heat and extra pain and needing medication for it. The bruising and damage to the tissue is really similar though. The near jumbo that nailed me at the pet store hurt like a bite, and it didn't even break skin.



My friend runs a pet store and got nailed by a big crab once, and it would not let go for anything. It wasn't like she could stand there and wait it out since she was the only person working and had customers and other animals to tend to. She dunked her hand in the saltwater reef tank that was next to the hermits and the crab let go immediately. If I ever do get pinched again and it won't let go, I'm dunking my hand into my brackish water tank to see if that would work.

[KellyCrabbieLove]

I've had my nose broken by my sister.
I've had my finger bitten through by a cat.
One of my sisters dropped a can of pinto beans on my head.
I've stubbed my toes 1000+ times and my pinky toes are broken.
And other things I can't remember right now, but those things
probably don't hurt as bad as what you said.

You sound a lot like me. I had to have hand surgery because a cat bit me and was in the hospital for 3 days. You can only watch so many episodes of law and order before your brain goes on strike. My husband broke my nose with his face running through our apartment back in 2007. That was fun explaining...I've broken 3 ribs, had 7 kidney stones and multiple serious sprains that would have been easier to fix if they bad just broken. I'm a walking cautionary tale.

[rainbow_crab]

I know this is random, but when my crabs get ahold of me, I stick my hand in the water pool, and they let go faster. Idk but I swear they let off sooner when the are in water. It may not be super nice to dunk them but I would rather do that then get pinched open again. One medium got me good and I bled so bad.