hermit crab in pieces

Question
QUESTION: I have 3 hermit crabs for all 3 of my kids. One was quite larger than the other 2 and seemed to be perfectly healthy and active. Today we found its shell buried in the sand and one of the smaller crabs missing. Beneath the sand I noticed the dismembered limbs of a crab. I assumed it was the demise of one of the smaller crabs. However when I picked up the larger one's shell inside was actually one of the smaller crabs so therefore the remains in the sand were that of the bigger crab. The smaller one had taken over the larger one's shell. I decided to watch the last 2 crabs after I buried them out of the sand to see what they would do. After about 5-10 minutes of watching them I noticed the crab that had taken over the larger crab's shell topple over the other crab, walk on top of him, push him out of the water dish and have a small antennae war with him. Could this crab have dismembered the other crab for its shell? how can i tell if this crab is dominant and or just being a crab? Any information you can give would be appreciated.

ANSWER: This reads like a detective novel. My question to you is, were the leg pieces hollow? If so it is possible that your larger crab molted and the small crab you see in his shell is actually him, post molt.

Pushing and shoving is perfectly normal.

A crab will indeed take another crabs shell but unless you don't have shells the crab will look for in appropriate style and size, it shouldn't be an issue.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I don't know if the legs were hollow or not - i was too grossed out to check it!! Anyways, a day or 2 after i emailed you we found the larger crab in another larger shell walking around like all was good - so i now highly believe he molted - the other crab is definitely in the molted crab's old shell though - without a doubt!! Can limbs fall off like that just from molting? Thanks for your input - much appreciated!!

Kristine

Answer
What happens is that they shed their entire exoskeleton except for the abdomen and then they eat it. (I know, gross, right?) And sometimes they don't eat the legs. That's why if you ever find a "dead crab" that you don't throw it or the shell away until you are sure that it is not a molting crab!