HERMIT CRABS MAKE GREAT PETS!

Looking for a low maintenance pet with personality plus? Look no further than the hermit crab!

Hermit crabs (or 'hermies' as they are affectionately known) are not true crabs. They are invertebrates with a soft outer shell (known as an exoskeleton) that protects their squashy bodies. This outer shell is not strong enough to safeguard them from predators, so they 'set up house' in harder, abandoned shells - hence the name hermit crab.

The shells hermit crabs choose to live in are usually only about one-third bigger than their whole body. This means that as they grow, the crabs will need to find larger shells to live in. This is an easy task for little hermies who don't get much bigger than lychees, but for those that grow as large as softballs, house hunting becomes much more challenging!

Caring for hermit crabs
Before bringing a hermit crab home, you will need to build a welcoming 'crabitat'. For this you'll need a large fish tank, some gravel, shells in different sizes, shallow water and food dishes, and things for your crab to climb on. Maintaining a steady humidity level is essential for your hermit crab's health, and it's recommended that crab-owners buy an inexpensive humidity gauge.

Your hermit crab will need to be fed daily. In the wild, hermies eat both plant and animal matter, but in captivity, their diet should contain a balance of pellets (containing all-important calcium), as well as a variety of fresh foods.

A hermit crab's outer shell doesn't grow, and every so often a hermie will shed its exoskeleton - known as 'moulting'. Small crabs moult every month or so, and larger crabs tend to moult once every 18 months. When moulting-time arrives, it's best to put your hermit crab in an isolation tank, so he or she can get the job done in peace.

Weird facts about hermit crabs
There are many cool things about hermies; here are just a few:

* No two hermit crabs are the same. You'll be amazed at the amount of personality they display. Hermies are happiest with the companionship of other hermit crabs, so consider getting at least two if you want them to be content (and not crabby!).

* Hermit crabs can make their legs drop off if they become injured or stressed. This especially comes in handy when predators attack. If a bird or another crab gets hold of a hermie's leg, it will break free by making the leg drop off!

* Hermies eat their own shells. It's so important for a hermit crab to get calcium in its diet, that it sometimes eats its own (recently shed) exoskeleton!

* Hermies love the nightlife. It might seem like your hermit crab leads a quiet existence, but because it's nocturnal, all the action happens at night. Check in on your crab during the wee hours and you'll catch your hermie fighting over shells, doing wall crawls, and other crazy stuff.

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