Hermit crab out of his shell after molt

Question
Hello,

One of my hermit crabs has been molting for a few days, so I put him in the isolation tank as I usually do when he molts (along with his scattered exoskeleton), but this morning he was out of his shell completely. I've read that if a crab comes out of the shell you're supposed to coax him back in immediately, but is he in danger if he's by himself? I don't want to touch him if he's still sensitive after molting!

Also, I haven't seen him move in the past day. Is there a way to test if he's alive without disturbing him?

Best,
Ashley

Answer
A crab out of his shell is never a good sign. It is dangerous if the humidity is low because their abdomens and gills need to stay moist, as they do in the shell. I would take his shell and rinse it out, rinse him off in dechlorinated water and place his butt end in the opening of the shell. Gently tap on his armor plate, (this is the part of his back right behind his eyes.) If he is reasonable healthy it should trigger his withdraw reflex. However, if he is still not moving it won't work and there is not much you can do but keep the humidity high and hope that he comes out of it.