Carol
of CrabWorks' crab Kate, freshly moulted.
Notice
the tips and colour differences as she returns to her natural
red colouring.
Run your mouse over the image to see the change in colour after
she hardens. MAGIC!
[
Images used with permission.
©Copyright 1999 Carol
of CrabWorks ]
Moulting
can be stressful for hermit crabs and there is a few key things
you will need to know to help your hermie along during this
time of crisis. At first they may look pale and small but if
looked after your crab will be back to their normal selves in
no time. During
this trying time you should place the tank in the quietest part
of your house and try not to disturb your crab as much as possible.
If you notice the other hermit crabs pestering the moulting
crab you will need to seperate them. Any excess stress may hamper
your crab's success of recovering from the moulting process.
If you are concerned about your moulting crab then it is best
to create an isolation unit for your crab.
You
can introduce a small plastic container with holes punched in
the lid for air flow; a small amount of substrate such as sand
inside for your crab to tunnel down into; a shell with water
in it; and a piece of sponge that has a few drops of water sprinkled
over it. Another form of isolation unit that is used by some
members of Hermies egroups is made up of the top part of a soft
drink container that is lowered over the moulting crab.
Diana
Pederson, a member of Hermies eGroups created an iso unit by
"using the top half of a 2 liter soda bottle. I cut off the
bottom and put it over the crab, the oldexoskeleton, added a
shell of water and a couple of new shells. Then I pushed the
edges all the way to the bottom of the sand to make sure none
of the other crabs crawled under it to get to the exoskeleton."
Either
of these isolation units will ensure that your crab is not disturbed
by curious siblings and will help to keep your crab warm, moist
and happy. Make sure that your crab's shed exo is close by and
try not to disturb your crab if possible while he recovers.
During
this time you will need to keep your hermit crab in a comfortably
warm and moist environment and offer substrate into which they
may burrow within. Some hermit crabs like to dig down deep into
the substrate and hide out while their new exoskeleton hardens
and they will return to normal activity. For the next 10 or
so days heir new skin hardens with the aid of 'chitin' which
hermit crabs will obtain by eating their discarded exoskelton.
During this time of natural wonder you will find your hermit
crab is soft, vulnerable, and inactive.
After
moulting your crab will need a bigger shell to protect their
newly moulted body. Your hermit crab may be a little crabby
after a moult and you should offer a variety of shells for them
to choose from. Hermit crabs love to size up new shells and
will often change shells for hours on end until they find their
favourite.
Dietary Needs for a successful moult
Hermit crabs need a diet rich in...
| Beta Carotene |
0 Fruits - yellow, red and deep green fruits (apricots, cantaloupe and mangoes)
0 Vegetables - yellow, red and deep green vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, pumpkin, pumpkin,
kale, collard greens, spinach, leaf lettuce and broccoli
etc)
0 Flowers - as marigolds
0 Fungae - micro-algae such as spirulina or macro-algae such as Chlorella are wonderful sources of beta carotene |
| Calcium |
The hermit crab will reabsorb much of the calcium from the exoskeleton. If your hermit crab has not eaten all of the exoskeleton (eg. big pincer or a leg) you can grind or crush it up to make it easier for your crab to eat it. Make sure that you do not disturb the moulter as you do this.
Other sources of calcium are:
0 Crushed Coral - pounded/grounded into a powder. This is one of the best sources of calcium due to the over 70 minerals occuring natural in coral
0 Crushed or grated Cuttlebone - Cheap to buy and easily available. Sprinkle on their food or use it in the calcium mix.
0 Egg Shell - dried, cleaned and very finely crushed eggshell
0 Oyster shell powder - another inexpensive form of calcium
o Spirulina - A micro-algae. It is chock full of calcium in an easy to digest form.
|
| Cellulose |
Coconut Husk and fiber - hermit crabs are often seen breaking the woody husk from coconut huts and eating it.
Leaves - Brown Oak leaves are great source of cellulose
Lufa or Loofa -
a kind of gourd with cellulose fibres
Wood items - Brown Oak bark |
| Chitin |
Crab Shells: Crab shells (exoskeletons) are rich in chitin and protein
Hermit Crabs: Body parts not eaten after a few days can be crushed and re-offered
Prawn Shells: Whole or crushed prawn shells (exo)
|
| Protein |
0 Egg Shell - dried, cleaned and very finely crushed eggshell
0 Oyster shell powder - another inexpensive form of calcium
o Spirulina - A micro-algae. It is chock full of calcium in an easy to digest form. |
| |
|
Dietary Needs of a Post-Moulter
Are based on what they have eaten pre-moult and post-moult.
Exoskeleton hardens by “tanning” (sclerotization)
• proteins in cuticle become tightly cross-linked
• tanned cuticle protein is called sclerotin
• wax layers
Autotomy and Regernation
"Crabs possess the ability to autotomise their appendages when trying to escape the grip of a predator. The appendages, which detach at preformed breakage planes, are able to regenerate, and require several molts to reach normal size (Weis 1978; Barnes 1986). Because the new cuticle is lost with the autotomised appendage, regeneration only occurs after a complete moulting cycle has passed. At this point, the new limb continues to grow beneath the existing but it is doubled over in a folded position (Lee and Weis 1980). At the next moult, the newly generated limb may only appear as a bud or a stump, as it has not had the physical space within which to attain normal size. The new limb continues to grow in a folded position under the hardening exoskeleton until the next moult (Hobbs 1991). This process is repeated until the new limb attains its normal size." (Charmaine Andrea Huet, 2000)
If
your hermit crab has lost a limb they will regenerate them.
"A
moulting hermit crab can regenerate missing legs. After the
first moult, the limbwill be a small nub. It will take several
molts, but eventually the appendage will grow back to its originial
size." (Fox,
S. 2000)
