HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Hello everyone. I'm a hermit crab keeper that's kinda quit after 2017 because of the death of my hermit crab I was really close to. I've decided to get back in and I wondered. How much does a hermit crab pinch hurt, and could you please compare it to something else? Thank you all

I have never been pinched before (phew ) but I know that a softball-sized hermit can crack a pencil easily. A tiny one probably can't, so it depends on the size of hermit your talking about. I also know that if you hold the shell a certain way, there's less of a chance of getting pinched. That's as much as I know, hope it helps!

I’ve been pinched by several crabs of various sizes. I’m not good with metaphors so bare with me.

The small ones don’t do much damage and kinda feel like a pair of fingernails—not fun but not a whole lot of pain.

The bigger ones are more like sharp pliers. They’re not super sharp but can still break the skin.

Any animal will react negatively if scared or stressed, though. Pinches can be intimidating but aren’t as scary as they sound.


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i have been pinched quite a few times
i’d say the same as JoeHermits
it’s somewhat hard to describe HAHA because crabs get bigger and there is a difference between a pinch by a big crab vs a little crab
but if your crabs do pinch and are like hanging on to you the best thing to do it to stay calm and stay as still as possible
because if they feel you moving they will continue to pinch to hold on
also as JoeHermits said the pinchers aren’t as scary as they sound
i wouldn’t be too afraid or anything that it would affect your decision

(edit: HAHAH i just realized this post is a few months old! haven’t been active on the site lately )

Can hermit crabs break skin and spread diseases? How do you get a hermit crab off of your finger or wherever someone is pinched?

some people say you can get salmonella from hermit crabs not sure how much truth there is to it tho … heard mixed thoughts on it

but i guess if you get pinched and they break skin you should just clean it out like you would any other cut to prevent infection? like clean it out with like hydrogen peroxide and apply neosporin

when i’m dealing with my crabs i just always wash my hands well, just as i would do with any other animal really

Ok thx

Crabs themselves don't carry diseases like dogs or turtles do, but their environment and their bodies can potentially be dangerous because of the heat and humidity and messy food causing bad bacteria to grow. Always wash hands after handling the crabs or anything from the enclosure, don't let them walk around on table or countertops, clean any skin breaks they do end up causing.

I've had a few bad pinches. My worst was a dime sized crab that got me under my nailbed and refused to let go.

I've been pinched pretty darn hard, and yes, it HURT. Compare it to something else? That's hard, because how do I know what you have experienced? It was not as bad as the time a domestic rat bit my finger and literally gnawed until it hit bone (that was the most dangerous bite I've received). It was not as bad as being accidentally bitten by a horse (my fault, careless where I put my hand). It was worse, pain-wise, than some snaps I have received from injured dogs I was working with. It left a very deep bruise that was sensitive for some time, but the way it grabbed me it did not break the skin much.

They are wild animals and as far as they are concerned, being picked up means they are in great danger of being eaten by whatever it is that is picking them up, so they will defend themselves to the best of their ability. The biggest danger of handling hermit crabs is that if they DO get a good grip on you and pinch hard, you could freak out and try to shake them off; if you succeed and they hit a hard surface at speed, this could cause severe injury or death to the crab. Bottom line is that they really don't belong in human homes, so taking them out of their zoological exhibit and handling them is a risk to them, in lots of ways.

I got pinched on the palm of my hand once by one of my medium sized crabs and boy did that hurt. Left a nice bruise too.

I had one of my large crabs pinch me and she broke the skin. Another one, got a hold of me and wouldnt met go. That hurt. For the most part I am hands off with the crabs. I try to handle them as little as possible.


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Maxwell (.5 in opening) pinched my fingertip last night -- apparently he was hiding in the shell shop.

It didn't break the skin, but it definitely hurt. Not really comparable to anything. I think he managed to hit a nerve, because it's been tingly today. No visible bruising.

My crab Busy has approx. 1.5" opening (sometimes 1-5/8" depending on the shell, sometimes less) and has given me several "love pinches". They are slow-building and I've usually had enough time to yank the flesh away before she gets serious. I have her out for an hour or two every night, so she is very used to being handled -- so these pinches seem to be mostly a way of "tasting" me. Haven't carefully noted, but I think it was the small claw. One time was a real "serious oww" moment and it took great will power to get my hand to the ground so she could safely disembark. That was probably the big claw. When carrying by hand, obviously holding from the top of the shell is safest for the person, but there's a risk of dropping the crab so I also put something underneath for her to grasp lightly with her feet. When carrying from below (in cupped hand), in general I notice that as long as she feels able to make forward progress (e.g. from one hand to the other), she is less likely to pinch, and more likely to let go if a pinch is occurring.

DragonFly's comment, about the person freaking out and hurling the crab in a startle response, is a very good point, and that is why I am not okay with other people handling my crab.