Hermit crab died...

Question
QUESTION: We've had our 3 hermit crabs for about 8 months now.  1 large, 1 medium and 1 tiny one.  We have 5 empty shells in the tank for them.  Recently the large one went into a new shell.  The medium wanted to go into another one and carried it around for days.  He'd sit for hours with both openings facing each other so I thought he was planning to go in.  Then one morning we noticed that the larger one left the new shell he went into and went into the one that the medium one was wanting.  Last night I couldn't find the medium one and finally found him buried near the water dish so I left him alone - he was fine and moving around then.  This morning to our shock (kids all saw this - ugh), the medium one was tore up and outside of his shell right beside it.  This is terribly sad!  Did the bigger one basically tear him up?  And did I cause this by "finding" him from being buried?  Our large one doesn't really seem agreesive.  The teeny, tiny one that we have doesn't seem to be affected and I don't want to allow him to get tore up - if that's what happened.  We're so sad here this morning.  They really became our friends and I didn't realize how much!  Thank you in advance.

ANSWER: I'm sorry you lost one of your crabs.

When you say tore up, are you sure it wasn't the exoskeleton? Check in the shells for a light pink crab. If you see legs and aren't sure if it's the crab or it's exoskeleton you can squish the leg(gross I know) a hollow leg will squish. If you saw the crabs abdomen outside the shell, then it's not an exoskeleton.

If the crab was attacked, it might've been starting to molt and other crabs can detect this. Make sure to offer them a protein every day for food to help stop this. Here's a site that has a safe and unsafe food list.
www.epicurean-hermit.com



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

QUESTION: Thank you - thank you!  Unfortunately, it was his whole body including his head.  The poor thing was just torn up - legs and arms separated.  I just signed up for the list to see what I can give the others.  Yes, he was molting because he was testing out the other shell which the big one "took" from him.  I feel so bad because I couldn't find him about 11pm last night so I dug around and he was hiding under the sand.  I feel now like he was hiding to protect himself and I brought him out in the open to be eaten during the night.  This has been a bad day - for all of us.  I appreciate your help.  I never thought these little guys would become such a part of our lives.  I don't mean to sound silly.
Thank you again.
Julie

Answer
Hi Julie,

It's not silly. Trust me there's been nights where I stare into the crabitat hoping to find one I'm looking for. *hugs*

If you'd like a forum to see other information on land hermit crabs feel free to check this one out.
www.hermitcrabaddiction.net/forum

These little guys are surely addicting!