Features

• Hermit crabs have soft abdomens. To protect themselves, they will pick up an empty seashell and carry it with them. One large claw will both block the opening when the crab withdraws into the shell and pinch anything that comes too close. Despite their name, hermit crabs prefer to live communally. Hermit crabs can grow to the size of a baseball.
  
  

Location

• In the wild, hermit crabs are found in tropical regions near the ocean. While they spend a large amount of time on land, they also spend time in the ocean. Hermit crabs bury their eggs in sand and need beaches in order to do so. They are also inclined to burrow into sand in order to hide and to find food.
  
  

Food

• In the wild, hermit crabs will eat a variety of foods. They will consume leaf litter, plants, grasses, decaying wood and fallen fruit. When they are kept as pets, they need a balanced diet that includes plenty of calcium, carotene and antioxidants.
  
  

Housing

• You will need a spacious enclosure if you want to keep hermit crabs. A 10-gallon aquarium is a good size for a few crabs, but as they grow larger or as you add more to the colony, you will need to expand. A good aquarium for crabs should comfortably contain the crabs, their water dishes, their toys, their food, and extra shells for them to trade up for as they grow. The tank must also be kept humid, as hermit crabs breathe through modified gills even on land. If the tank is not kept humid enough, the hermit crab will suffocate.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Some people believe that hermit crabs will bite, but the truth is that they have no teeth. They have also been associated with salmonella, but this is because hermit crabs are sometimes sold next to reptiles, which can carry the salmonella bacteria. Hermit crabs themselves do not spread diseases to humans. There is also a prevalent belief that a crab will die if its big claw falls off. While the large claw is essential in the wild, there are no predators for a hermit crab to deal with in captivity. In some cases, a hermit crab can even regenerate its claw.