hermie moulted

Question
We have had our hermit crab since February of 08. He started to bury himself which worried me (but I let him be) this morning we thought he had passed but when I went to clean the home he was moving. He has completely molted. He now will not come out. How long does this last? Is he ok? Is there anything I should do? Should I leave the skeleton in the habitat or clean it out?
Thanks, Stacy


Answer
Hermit crabs will bury themselves to molt, so leave him be when he does this next time. Once they have molted they need time to harden up and get energy back. Molting is very stressful to them, so it's best to leave them alone. Definately leave the exoskeleton in there, he will need to eat that.

Here's a forum you can check out for more land hermit crab information.
www.hermitcrabaddiction.net/forum