Land hermit crabs are really cute. Looking at one, you get to think about some of those documentaries on hermit crabs in the wild as well as how nice it is to be under the sun and among the creatures on the beach altogether.
Just a bit of humor there, but it is some of those things that hermit crab owners think about when they are looking down at their pet and wondering what kind of a life these little things have when they are in their natural habitat.
The land hermit crab is probably one of those exotic pets you can have nowadays, and it is very interesting to know that the more you learn about interacting of hermit crabs in the wild is one way you can help your pet live a happy and healthy life with you.
You should know that you can find these crabs naturally around tropical areas near the ocean, and being out in that environment means that there is a certain humidity level that they need to survive in. Although these crabs live quite an amount of their life on land, they use also spend some time in the water. It uses gills in these environments, which help them take the moisture out of the air and help them breathe.
If we take a look now at what they are called, we would be under the impression that these crabs were anti-social - this goes for both "hermit" and "crab". The funny thing is that hermit crabs actually like to be around in groups a lot of their kind, so if you can get more than one, it would be so much better. There are even some owners that get these crabs by the dozen! As long as you have a suitably sized tank, it would be more natural and fun to look at if there were a lot of them inside it.
Another thing you have to consider is that these crabs love to burrow, so they will need some substrate in their dwelling. They are also very curious creatures. When they hit something, they do not usually go around it, they try to go from under it. Perhaps this is one way of finding a bigger shell that they turn into homes as they go along and grow.
Out in the wild when the hermit crab lays eggs, they bury it in the sand. When the tide flows in, it carries these eggs back out into the ocean where they eventually hatch and grow. This is how the cycle of their life goes.
As we have said before, these crabs have gills. So, these enable them to breathe the same way fish can in the water by filtering the oxygen out of it. And when they grow a bit and finally do hit land, they now have to find little shells for them to start their homes. This is when they start sharing their life in both water and land.
To a crab, temperature and humidity play a great role in keeping themselves healthy. Too much sun is not good for them and they might overheat, so this is when they have to burrow in the sand or try to reach water. If the humidity level is high, they will need to drink up because they will feel thirsty. But they need to be exposed to a certain amount of humidity to develop their gills as well. You get to notice this if you have, at one time, taken a stroll down the beach at night and happen to chance upon some baby crabs moving along the waterline. This is how they breathe through the humid air out of the dewdrops that fall on the beach.
You will seldom notice hermit crabs out of their shells because this will be the most vulnerable time it will have against predators. When this does happen, you might think that there is something wrong with your crab because it will act feeble and lame. And at most times, the activity you will only see your naked crab do is burrowing in the sand.
Hopefully, you have learned enough about living of hermit crabs in the wild to be able to understand and doing hermit crab care the right way. Just be sure to handle its basic needs and all species of hermit crabs as pets will live a long and happy life with you.