hermit crab molt

Just sitting here watching the final stages of my hermit crab molting. The old legs dangling out make him look dead . First time I came across one molting I thought it was dead! Decided I would keep that shell so I proceeded to wash it out. Lo and behold there was a soft pink crab gleaming back at me after the molt fell away. I'm watching the tiny pink claws push against the old,trying to finish dislodging from his "house".

When we first got hermits we were told nothing about how they molt. Sometimes makes me wonder how many healthy pets have been thrown out, preceived to be dead. Since it's such a slow process most people not informed would believe it was dead,

awh, poor hermies... I've been seriously tempted by them before, so cute, especially strawberry hermit crabs :)

I noticed this morning he was done. They are so pink and new looking when they first molt. Won't be out and about for a couple days yet. We have had them for a couple years now. They were so tiny when we got them, dime size. They both occupy shells just slightly smaller than a baseball now.:)

I expected my hermit to hole up for a couple of days after molting as usual. We've been thru this manytimes before. Had raised them from tiny lil things up to almost baseball size, but apparently things didn't go well this time. I came home tonight to find him dead outside his shell.He was a little more active than normal last night so I thought all had went well.

Awww, that's sad! How long do they usually live? Could it have just been the end of his life cycle? Regardless, though, I'm sorry for your loss. :hug:

Probably was old for a crab. Had him a couple years. Funny thing is, I look up everything on how to care for them and I know sometime in the past I have read how long they live. I don't remember!!!!:oops: