1. HERMIT CRABS

WRITTEN BY : SHERRIE (ANGELSSPIRIT_04)

MY EXPERIENCE WITH HERMIT CRABS : I FIRST WAS INTRODUCED TO THESE DELIGHTFUL LIL' CREATURES BY A FRIEND WHO LIVED NEXT DOOR TO ME..THIS WAS AROUND THE TIME DISNEY'S "THE LITTLE MERMAID" WAS SO POPULAR..SO I WENT TO MY PARENTS AND TOLD THEM I WANTED A CRAB...THEY LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS NUTS BUT FINALLY AGREED...MY FIRST CRAB WAS SEBASTIAN...HE WAS DARK RED AND HAD A BEAUTIFUL SEA GREEN SHELL...HE WAS VERY INTELLIGENT AND I SOON TAUGHT HIM TO DO THIS LITTLE CRABBY DANCE AND TO GRIP ONTO MY SHIRT ON MY SHOULDER SO I COULD CARRY HIM AROUND LIKE A BIRD...I LOVED HIM DEARLY...HE LIVED TO ALMOST 6 YEARS OLD...HES BURIED UNDER A TREE I PLANTED WHERE I LIVED WHEN I WAS YOUNGER IN KENTUCKY, WAITING AT THE RAINBOW BRIDGE TIL I CAN SEE HIM AGAIN. OVER THE YEARS, I HAD 4 OTHERS WHO NOW ARE WITH SEBASTIAN AT THE BRIDGE...EACH WAS SO SPECIAL TO ME AND EACH HAD A PERSONALLITY ALL THEIR OWN...I NOW HAVE FURRY BABIES BUT THOSE CRABIES WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART.

CARE OF HERMIT CRABS : HERMIT CRABS ARE A VERY LOW MAINTENENCE ANIMAL...THEY ARE VERY EASY TO CARE FOR...MINE HAD AN AQUAIRIUM WITH LOTS OF STUFF TO CLIMB ON..IVE SEEN THEM CLIMB HALFWAY UP SOMETHING AND FALL ASLEEP ALMOST IN MIDAIR, PINCHED ONTO THE SIDE :-) FOR MINE, I KEPT ONE SMALL SHALLOW DISH FOR FOOD AND ONE LARGE SHALLOW BOWL FOR WATER THAT THEY COULD CLIMB INTO..NOT ALOT OF WATER THOUGH...EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE TECHNICALLY A CRAB THEY CANNOT BREATHE UNDERWATER IF SUBMERGED AND CAN DROWN. THEY LOVE TO HIDE SO I HAD PLENTY OF PLACES THEY COULD GO INTO AND HIDE...GRANTED, THEY HAVE THEIR SHELL TO HIDE IN BUT LIKED OTHER PLACES TOO :-) I PROVIDED MANY EMPTY SHELLS ALSO BEING AS THEY GROW, THEY WILL SWITCH INTO OTHER SHELLS...ALWAYS WONDERED BEFORE I GOT EM WHY THE PET STORE SOLD EMPTY SHELLS HEHE :-) FOR FOOD, I GOT THE TYPE THE PETSTORE HAS...IT WAS GROUND UP BUT HAD FLIES AND OTHER BUGS IN IT AND SOME OTHER MEAL THAT WAS GROUND UP....SEBASTIAN HAD A THING FOR OREO COOKIES SO HE GOT ONE OF THOSE AS WELL...WOULD MUNCH ON IT ALL DAY LONG :-) THEY ARE VERY INTELLIGENT CREATURES..AND DONT LET THOSE PINCHERS SCARE YA...HERMIT CRABS HAVE ONE BIG PINCHER WHICH THEY USE TO CLIMB AND ONE SMALL PINCHER WHICH THEY USE TO PICK UP THEIR FOOD...KINDA LIKE A BUILT-ON FORK OR SPOON :-) THEY DONT AIM TO PINCH ON PURPOSE...USUALLY MOST PEOPLE GET PINCHED WHEN THEY TRY TO CLIMB OFF THEIR HAND. I NEVER GOT PINCHED BUT ITS SAID THAT IF THEY DO PINCH, IF YOU RUN THEM UNDER LUKEWARM WATER THAT THEY WILL LET GO. HERMIT CRABS ARE A DELIGHTFUL PET...I LOVE EM :-)

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