loss of claw

Question
My son thought his hermit crab was dead. He attempted to remove the body from the shell and managed to pull the large claw off. When he came to me for help to get the rest of the dead crab out of the shell (he wanted to bury the dead crab), I realized the crab had molted and was alive. I have isolated the crab but I wonder about his chances of survival. And, if he does live, how long does it take to regrow the lost claw? Will he have to molt again to regrow the claw or can he regrow one now? If it makes a difference, his exoskeleton has not started to harden.

Answer
He will have to grow a gel limb and once that's done he will probably molt. He might be very stressed right now, so I would not handle or touch him until he's hardened up and walking around.

As for his chances of survival, he made it through the toughest part(molting) so he might have a good chance growing the gell limb.

For more info on land hermit crabs feel free to check out this site.
www.hermitcrabaddiction.net/forum