Just rescued my first crab. Surface molting or dead? Help!
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 12:07 pm
About two weeks ago, I adopted a PP that was being kept in one of those awful wire mesh cages with gravel. He was curled up and hadn't moved for several days before I got him, so I figured he was starting to do a surface molt. Even though I know it's bad to handle them when they're doing that, I moved him to the tank I'd set up because I was worried he might not survive a molt without humidity and a heater.
I've been checking for smell daily, and thankfully haven't noticed anything, so I think he's alive. But the appearance of his exoskeleton hasn't changed at all (from what I can see. I put him inside a partly-buried coffee mug). His exoskeleton looks bright red. But there is no sign of molting so far, and the color hasn't changed at all since I got him two weeks. I'm worried that it should look different by now if he's going to molt. What is going on??
This is my first hermit crab. I babysat one for six months this summer, but I'm pretty new to this.
I've been checking for smell daily, and thankfully haven't noticed anything, so I think he's alive. But the appearance of his exoskeleton hasn't changed at all (from what I can see. I put him inside a partly-buried coffee mug). His exoskeleton looks bright red. But there is no sign of molting so far, and the color hasn't changed at all since I got him two weeks. I'm worried that it should look different by now if he's going to molt. What is going on??
This is my first hermit crab. I babysat one for six months this summer, but I'm pretty new to this.
A lot of people get surface molting and death confused. The number 1 thing about a dead hermit crab is that it smellls like fish gone bad. have fun with your hermies! 