hermit crab hanging out of shell

[srwalter]

One of my crabs just switched shells 2 days ago. I didn't really mean for it to be for him since it's a little big but it fits pretty well. He doesn't often retract all the way in but right now he's pretty far out of his shell (as he would be if he was walking or climbing) but he's just sitting there under a fake plant. He's moving his limbs so I know he's not dead but I can't tell if he's getting ready to molt on the surface instead of digging down. Is it normal for them to be that far out just hanging around or is he probably about to molt?

[curlysister]

It's hard to say, but crabs don't usually just hang too far out of their shell. If he is getting ready to surface molt, it could mean that something isn't right in his environment (because they should dig down to molt). If you would like help trouble shooting, fill in the 'emergency' template (copy and paste then add your answers) and we can help you out.