Must Know Information on Hermit Crabs

By Preston Blackmore

Pets

Pets play a very big part in distressing us in our day to day lives. When you get back from work, television and Internet are just not adequate to infuse some positive energy within you. Unwinding with your pets can do a whole lot of good to your body and mind.

Cats and dogs have been traditionally the most popular pets. They give us so much of joy. Yet some people are not able to enjoy these small pleasures of life. Dogs may need lots of space and walking around in the open. For lazy apartment dwellers it may be a tall order. Many owners could be allergic to pets. Or simply you may be averse to cats and dogs. You can then look forward to other pets like crabs.

What are Hermit Crabs

Here is some interesting Hermit Crab Information. These are small crabs with a hard exoskeleton to protect them. Technically speaking, they are not crabs as they have a very soft abdomen. Other crabs have a hard calcified abdomen. These crabs begin their life in the ocean. Although they are born in water, they can live without it for months. They come in attractive colors.

There are six types of hermit crabs available in the US for sale. They belong to the genus Coenobita. Caribbean pinchers are the most common types of hermit crabs. They are titled PP due to the large purple pincher. Other types of crabs are called as:

If you are a beginner, PP is the breed to commence with as they require the least care. Other breeds are more difficult to look after.

Peculiarities of hermit crabs

Your hermit crab information is incomplete without knowing the peculiarities. Hermit crabs have a lot of peculiarities. Most prominent of them are given below.

• Compound Eyes. The hermit crabs have compound eyes. These are a group of eyes.
• Mouthparts. They have three pairs of mouthparts which are actually three separate appendages. These are used by the crab to move food into its mouth. Hermit crabs also use them to groom themselves.
• Swimming Legs. These are called swimmerets. The legs not only help the crabs to swim but are also the reproductive organs on the hermit crabs.
• The hermit crabs develop a hard exoskeleton. Initially, the smaller exoskeleton will be shed by the crab to develop a bigger and harder exoskeleton. Initially, the new exoskeleton will be quite soft till the time it develops into a strong exoskeleton.

Hermit crabs do not have a heart. The blood of the creature does not go through a closed loop like human beings. Some crabs can produce a sonic boom to ware off their enemies. Hermit crabs are very powerful pinchers. A crab pinch can cause very severe pain.

Another interesting part of Hermit Crab Information is that they can drop off an arm when under stress. The part that has been shed off gradually grows back.

Hermit crabs make perfect pets. They can provide you the good companion that you have always been looking for.

About the Author

Preston Blackmore is a hermit crab enthusiast. For more accurate hermit crab information, visit www.hermitcrabclub.com.

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Views expressed in the article are those of the author and are not necessarily the opinions of CaribbeanChoice, its staff or members.