How to Keep Land Hermit Crabs? Common Species and Care Essentials (with Pictures)

Land hermit crabs are also called terrestrial hermit crabs, which is to say they used to live on land. They are very similar to crabs, but they are not the same kind of animal; strictly speaking, land hermit crabs belong to the order Decapoda. Let's take a look below at the common species of land hermit crabs and an introduction to care essentials (with pictures).

I. Common Species of Land Hermit Crabs

1. Strawberry Hermit Crab

The strawberry hermit crab, scientific name Coenobita perlatus, is fiery red, red or orange, covered all over with granules, with dark markings at the joints, and very rarely white. Most juveniles are the same color as adults, but a few individuals are milky white with obvious red markings at the joints. It likes to live on rocky reef coasts and likes to climb on coastal rock areas or seaside plants such as palm trees, and gathers to feed at night.

2. Violet Hermit Crab

The violet land hermit crab is distributed in tropical regions and is also relatively large in size. Its body color comes in many varieties, including deep purple, deep blue, purple-black or dark green. Most juveniles are orange-yellow or red, and as they gradually grow, their body color gradually turns deep blue, with only a touch of orange-yellow on the walking legs or the finger segments of the chelae. Its habitat is located in estuaries, mangroves and coastal areas.

3. Short-clawed Hermit Crab

The short-clawed hermit crab is one of the largest species among land hermit crabs, second only to the coconut crab. It has round eyes, and its eyestalks look like a matchstick, clearly distinguishing it from other species in the same genus. Its body color is mostly purple, with very few individuals red. It likes to live in dense coastal forests, among rocks or in burrows under woods. Its eyesight is relatively keen, and it likes to search for food near jungles or garbage piles at night.

4. Gray-white Land Hermit Crab

The gray-white land hermit crab, also known as the wrinkled hermit crab, is a relatively common land hermit crab, growing in Africa, Asia, Southeast Asia and other places. Its color is the most variable, and its body size is relatively small. It generally lives on land above the high tide line and likes to dwell in snail shells. It likes to gather on dry sandy beaches and open areas of jungle, and is active at night and rests by day. Often five or six of them stack together and move in groups, feeding under garbage washed in by the waves, or climbing onto the island to look for food.

II. Care Essentials for Land Hermit Crabs

1. Choosing Land Hermit Crabs

Terrestrial hermit crabs are generally very active and not picky about food, and the shells they carry are also oddly shaped and very beautiful. You can choose to raise them from small to large, and watching the process of shell-changing and molting is a pleasure in itself.

2. Number of Land Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs are social animals, so it is recommended to keep several of them.

3. Lifespan of Land Hermit Crabs

In a captive environment, they have a lifespan of about 10 years or more, and there is a record abroad of 34 years+. So as long as you raise them well, there is no need to worry that they cannot accompany you for a very long time.

4. Choosing Substrate

You can choose Philippine white sand, and you can also use coconut soil as substrate. First, Philippine white sand, because it is easy to dig in and rich in calcium. The gills of small crabs are calcified and need enough moisture in the air to breathe, so pairing it with a hygrometer (optimal humidity inside the tank 70%~85%) to promptly check the humidity in the crab tank is a must. Land hermit crabs live on land, so when keeping them you cannot soak them in water, otherwise they will suffocate. The correct method is to simulate a beach, which is very simple: use two water basins instead. Put dry sand in one and wet sand in the other.

5. Food for Land Hermit Crabs

Hermit crabs are omnivorous animals and can eat both meat and plants. You can feed them raw meat or meat lightly cooked in vegetable oil; it can be freeze-dried food such as dried shrimp, or organic fruits and vegetables.