What Is Hermit Crab Molting?

A molting hermit crab undergoes a lot of stress. This is for this very reason that hermit crab owners should have the most accurate information about this process. During this time, the hermit crab requires extra care.

Molting is a process of development in hermit crabs. During this process, the exoskeleton of the crab is shed off. When this happens, the crab is unable to move until it gets back its muscle control and a new set of exoskeleton solidifies. At this event, the molting hermit crab will start to feed on the discarded exoskeleton in order to capture the stored calcium and other minerals that are needed for the new exoskeleton to be healthy and rigid. Due to the vulnerability of the crabs during this time, they typically bury themselves underground for protection, darkness and insulation that are needed to allow the molting hormone to be produced. When the needed hormone is produced, the shedding process or ecdysis is signaled to take place.

When a hermit crab is about to undergo a molting process, there are some signs that you can watch for. These common signs and symptoms are as follows:

?Too much digging behavior, which can be observed usually in habitats that are not properly set up with a deep enough substrate level that is sufficient for the molting hermit crab to bury under.

?Too much time spent in both salt and freshwater bowls

?The activity level of your crab lessens and they tend to become less active because their conditions are not right.

?Other visual signs such as dull looking eyes, lost of appendage or a chalky appearance on their exoskeleton.

A molting hermit crab undergoes four major stages, namely:

1. The pre-molt stage or proecdysis

2. The molting stage or Ecdysis

3. The post-molt stage or Metecdysis, and

4. The intermolt stage or the Anecdysis

There are a number of different opinions on how to take care of your hermit crab undergoing the molting process. This is why you will have to decide on your own on which procedure may work best for you. Regardless of what procedure you will decide on, it is important that you take extra care on providing for the most suitable environmental conditions for your molting hermit crab. Also, it is important to prevent from handling or disturbing the hermit crab undergoing the process of molting during these delicate times of their development as much as possible. Trust that your pet knows what it is doing and when it comes to this process of their development, however it may be hard on its owners, leaving them alone is the best way for owners like you could do for your pets.