Buried crab

Question
Hi there,

Our hermit crab has been buried for quite a long time - it's been about 3 months now and we haven't heard any movement at night for about 4 weeks so we don't think he's coming out for food/water. We keep spraying the sand to keep him moist but don't know whether he's dead under there or moulting. We're worried, so what do you suggest we should do? (If the info helps, he's only a little crab - his shell is about an inch and a half in diameter).

Many thanks

Answer
Dear Lousia,
thank yu for your question.
Molting can take a long time and four weeks is not unusual. I wouldn't dig the crab up because you may disturb him during the molt and that can cause him to drop legs or just die from the stress.
Smooth out the sand so you can see whether he comes up for food during the night. It's possible that he's so inactive because the humidity or temperature are not in the right range (relative humidity of 70-80% and temperature aournd 80F). He does need some more crabs for company, they are very social and should never be kept alone.
You can find more info on crab cage on these websites:
www.thecrabbagepatch.com
www.hermitcrabassociation.com
www.landhermitcrabs.com
www.crabstreetjournal.com
www.epicurean-hermit.com
www.hermit-crabs.com
http://www.crabbytalk.com/

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer