Hermit Crabs: An Easy-to-care-for, Fun Family Pet

When most people consider getting a new pet for their child, guinea pigs, hamsters or other small rodents usually spring to mind, based on popular assumptions that these types of animals are easy to care for, fun, educational and safe for children. not much space. There is an alternative to not considering most pet species that are easier to care for, at least safe and space efficient, and more fun: the hermit crab. My family has kept hermit crabs for years, and we have found them to be fun, educational, and full of surprises. and surprisingly easy to care for.

Excellent hermies first time children’s pets. Contrary to popular belief, and unlike their gnawing counterparts, they are not aggressive animals at all under normal circumstances. They have very strong forceps, but in our experience, unless they have spent a lot of time in pet stores worn and abused by onlookers in cages, In general, people only press the spear if they feel that the spear is held too unsteadily in the palm of someone’s hand. You will find, however, that like any other animal, hermit crabs have their own unique personalities, and some are more ferocious than others, but generally, we have found that they do not bite or stress unless they are attacked.

Like all types of pets, they have their own special requirements, but they are very simple and do not require supplies. which are more singular than other pets.

Because of their name, most people think of hermit crabs as timid, but they are really very social and always want to explore their surroundings, preferring to live in colonies of up to a hundred in the wild. Our hermits are always happiest when kept with at least one or two of their own kind, and will form social bonds with humans as well. They have been fed and handled by the same person long enough, they will know the owners, and patiently allow people to pick them, take them out of their farms and look at them.

Although they require vigilance to avoid stepping on or accidentally stepping on a foot, our hermies like to roam around our house and garden, exploring everything that is there. If you have other hobbies, or your little hermits are so scared that you won’t find them again, they are just as happy roaming around in small, bright hamster balls.

They are incredibly easy and cheap to feed too. It does not require a special diet. According to the hermit crabs care website, Hermit-Crabs.com, they are scavengers in the wild and whatever they eat. can find even crab meat! In captivity they are not any pickier. My hermits seem to love Kraft American cheese crackers and bananas, and they won’t touch anything spicy, but for the most part, “hermit crabs food” sold in petstores you see that it is completely unnecessary if you feed them a well-balanced diet. They will eat a bit of your table scraps and only need to be fed once or twice a day. No one is quite sure what the nutritional requirements of hermit cancer are, but as long as you provide a variety of foods, pet carriers sold. like “hermit crab houses” in market kiosks and even some luxury stores. Those are just small for a hermit crab – like living in a closet would be for a man. A ten gallon tank filled with at least 4″ of water level or a sandbox quality sterile sand or mulch substrate is the minimum, and probably costs about the same as a plastic carrier anyway. Four ounces of sand or substrate is the minimum tank, and more if your hermits are larger, because they do to make a tunnel and need a safe environment to tunnel in with the exoskeleton, which they do periodically (Prepare for your children to “Ooooh!” and “Ahhh!”

Nuisance hermies require that they be kept in isolation to avoid being chased by other hermies. They are tropical creatures that require a constantly warm and humid environment, so be sure to read a basic care book such as Sue Fox Hermit Crabs: The Pet Owner’s Manual, or look up care instructions on Google – information about these books guys in There is plenty of internet!

If you bought a hermit crab for a small child, be sure to teach them how to train their hermit crabs with care and to supervise all interactions. Hermies press if you are stressed, or if you are holding a bowl or unknown hand. Care should be taken that a hermit crab never falls from a great height – a blow could kill it instantly. Also, he should never, ever try to force a hermit crab out of its shell, so that it will suffer severely, even mortally wounded, before allowing itself to be removed from its shells.

Hermit crabs can be seen as unusual pets that require a lot of special knowledge, but once they have a suitable habitat; which is no more difficult to establish than reptiles, they only require regular food and water and an occasional inspection of the surface area of ​​their tank. Just pick out any debris with a spoon – otherwise the animals are very clean. Healthy hermits never give off an odor. Hermies can also be very educational, especially for a marine biologist or a budding environmentalist with a passion for ocean conservation. Rabbits are typically extraordinarily lively animals and can live for decades, growing to the size of softballs. Hermit crabs make for a fun, no-fuss, easy little treat the whole family can enjoy!