Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My son and daughter came home from the New Jersey shore with pet hermit crabs. The shop gave them the crab for free with the purchase of a small wire lined round cage. They were only instructed to wet the sponge every day and feed these little nuggets (crab food) a few times a week. The tiny space seems inhumane to me. I have been frantically researching online and feeling somewhat overwhelmed by what my two 8 year-olds came home believing was a "fun" thing to do. I have put an apple slice in their cages tonight but I am wary of undertaking what seems to be a big commitment to these poor things that must have been mistreated and may die. Is there anything I can do to make good on what Grandma and Granddad thought was a great thing to do?

You might want to let Grandma & Grandpa know that in the future they need to consult with you prior to purchasing pets. Hermit crabs, like any other animal, need the proper care. You are correct that the little cage they got and instructions were less then adequate. If it is more then you are willing to do, I strongly urge you to find them another home.

You've probably already found this site but if not, check out http://www.hermit-crabs.com/.

There is a land hermit crab forum at http://forums.insecthobbyist.com/forum.php?catid=25

Thank you for caring.

If you need help with land hermit crabs, you can go to the forums here, see link in reply above mine or email me directly at hermitcrab_rescue@yahoo.com
There is a ton of info you will need to know.

Jenn