If you have been to a beachfront town, pet store or mall recently, you have probably seen hermit crabs for sale. Land tree hermit crabs are on the way to becoming a popular pet, more often than not to the untimely demise of the animals. Hermit crabs can be entertaining and enjoyable pets. They require little space and are quite making them a good choice for apartments and dorm rooms. There are certain requirements to consider before bringing a hermit crab home, however once these needs have been met hermit crabs can be wonderful and fairly easy pets for years to come.

Things to Consider

There are some important things to ponder when deciding if hermit crabs are the right pet for a given situation. Hermit crabs are very sociable creatures and need to be in groups of two or more crabs of roughly the same size at all times. In the wild, these animals have been in colonies of 100 or more, socialization is very important to their well-being. Hermit crabs have a relatively long life span, in captivity they have lived upwards of 30 years. The average lifespan of a land hermit crab in captivity unfortunately is normally much less than that. They can also grow quit large as they never really stop growing, it can be hard to find new shells for a large hermit crab to move into. Hermit crabs come from the wild and do not breed in captivity; some of them do not lose this wild nature and prefer to stay hidden at all times. Hermit crabs are nocturnal and may not be very active during the day, and usually will not seek attention from a caregiver.

If the purchase of a hermit crab is still an option, it is important to consider their very specific need requirements. Meeting the needs of hermit crabs can take some time to achieve; however once they are, they are easy to maintain.