Hermit Crab Reproduction? Nope - Just Molting - 8/21/03
We apparently had a male ("Jupiter")  and a female ("Crustaceous") hermit crab.  They were reasonably active (when it was safe I let them out to walk around an open space on the floor).  They enjoyed their food and drank from their sponge.   They always slept cuddled closely together.
<Hmmm... no mention of daily spraying of them/the tank for humidity... helps them to breath easier - literally. Too many hobbyists are not informed of this and the crabs suffer slowly over time (evidenced by inactivity, incomplete molts, etc)>
Then Crustaceous seemed to be getting antisocial and was off to herself most of the time.  I realized she was in the same spot through the day and then also through the night.  When I picked her up, she just about fell out of her shell - and of course she was dead.  But her body looked really weird - as if there was almost nothing inside the skin.  
<this was simply the molt my friend>
I planned to bury her with the rest of our long last hermit crabs, <yikes... how many bodies? I'm wondering if they just haven't been petering out slowly from lack of spraying/humidity?> but I thought I would clean the shell and keep it. I was shocked when I looked into the shell and saw what looked like a very tiny fully formed hermit crab claw.  It was orange/red in color.  I determined there was no life in whatever it was and tried to pry it gently from the shell.  It was a tiny  formed crab. The legs broke off as it just fell out once it was loosened.  That also seemed as if there was not much (if anything) inside the shell. There was an odor so my husband quickly wrapped it up and disposed of it.  I am sorry to say we didn't just bury the whole thing in the yard.  But, I was afraid of disease and the whole thing was so weird I wasn't sure it really happened.  Jupiter is not looking too well right now either.  I totally scrubbed their home, changed everything and am trying to keep him safe if there were any germs.  But, I am afraid we are going to lose him. I have been obsessed with that baby crab - because that's what I'm sure it was - and regret I hadn't seen your web site before I disposed of it.  I would appreciate your comments.  Ann
<please do buy a handbook online or at your local pet store on keeping hermit crabs properly... much data online too. That was no baby as you might guess by now, but the shrunk molted living crab. It sounds like you need a spray bottle in use by the tank ;) Best of luck. Anthony>

Hermit Crab Reproduction? Molting - 8/24/03
Thank you so much for your prompt response.  I feel terrible to know I caused its death.  
<no worries, mate... their natural lifespan is not so long... and the crabs we collect are generally adults of an unknown age>
I do spray the crabs (obviously not enough) and make sure they always have plenty of clean water in their dish and sponge.  
<excellent to hear... and do check out the following links mentioned to us by a daily reader after seeing yours and other recent posts: http://www.landhermitcrabs.com
http://www.hermit-crabs.com >
I have kept them successfully for years at a time.  And I have read up some - again obviously not enough.  I only learned from your site about their need for salt, though I should certainly have figured that out considering they come from the shore.  I never, never heard anything about the crab molting - not from any of my friends who have many more hermit crabs than I have.
<my goodness... tis a common, albeit secretive occurrence. The molts are generally eaten>
And believe it or not, I did even buy a hermit crab book at the pet store when my granddaughter brought the first hermit crab here.  
<excellent... you really are quite on par my friend. Keeping them for a couple of years is quite good too>
But she took the book, and I had the crab.  Not a very good combination. Please be sure no other hermit crab will suffer in my hands.   Thank you again.
<always welcome... best of luck! Anthony>

Hermit crab babies 11/7/04
Hi Bob
<Anthony Calf in his stead>
I had a question on saltwater hermit crabs, my hermit crabs had babies and I read some of the articles on your website (great by the way). But I have heard that you must mimic a beach coastline, if not the baby hermit crabs will drown and die. If this is true than why can there parents be in an aquarium, wouldn't they drown also. Thank you! Sincerely, Jenny
<there are many possibilities here... hermit crabs are known to be terrestrial, intertidal and of course - fully aquatic. Some spend their entire lives in a given niche while others spend certain life cycles in different niches. The "land" hermit crabs must be get moist and humid but not submerged or they will drown. Anthony>

Did my land hermit crabs lay eggs?
Hey, my sister and I bought two hermit crabs, together, a few months ago.  
Today, we came home, and my sister went to feed them and mist and everything else, well she picked up their food container, and found two semi-clear, with what looked like pink "claws" on each side?  We are freaking out, mainly because, this is the first time, this has happened to us?  We've been researching ever since, we discovered what was in their food container, and cannot find any answers.  We would greatly appreciate your help!!
< Your hermit crab has an exo-skeleton so the only they can grow is to shed this skeleton every once in a while as they grow. I think what you found is the left over external skeleton of each of the claws.-Chuck>

Land Hermit Reproduction or Shed/Molt? 10/23/04
I came home, and was going to feed my hermit crabs, I found in their food bowl, one little pink ball, I left it in there, gave them some fresh food, I woke up the next day, and went to check on them, on the other side of their food bowl, was another ball.  The one that I found the day before had been buried. This was a couple of days ago, what is it?
<tough to say without a picture or better description. The burying of eggs for terrestrial varieties would not be a surprise though. A picture is worth a thousand words here in the absence of a description more detailed then "little pink ball", my friend. Anthony>
Hey guys, great site.