What to know before you buy a hermit crab at the Jersey Shore
Hermit crabs aren’t beach souvenirs. They are exotic creatures that require lots of care and can live for decades.
This article is republished in partnership with South Jersey Climate News and written by Madison Miller and Katie Thorn.
Like salt water taffy and a sunburn, hermit crabs are synonymous with the Jersey Shore.
And before heading home from vacation, many beleaguered parents end up in a tacky t-shirt shop buying a crab with a painted shell for their kid as a “souvenir pet.”
Once home, however, the novelty can quickly wear off.
Hermit crabs can be difficult to feed. They sometimes attack or eat each other. Many escape or die within a few weeks.
That’s because people don’t really understand hermit crabs or what caring for them entails, advocates say.
“They’re marketed as easy and disposable, like beach souvenirs, and that is just furthest from the truth,” said hermit crab advocate Janie Groeling.
Groeling was one of those kids who purchased a crab for fun, but didn’t really understand what was required. Today, she is an influencer who teaches her 200,000 viewers on TikTok how to be responsible hermit crab owners.
Hermit crabs require expensive cages, climate control, special food and care.
And they can live up to 50 years, long after a child grows up and brings their own children to the Shore.
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Hermit crabs aren’t local
While nearly every shore town sells hermit crabs, the ones for sale on the boardwalk are not native to New Jersey, let alone the United States. These little crab creatures come from tropical, humid climates like the Caribbean or Indo-Pacific.
Hermit crabs are plucked from their native habitat and shipped in bulk to the U.S. and as a result many crabs die from starvation, lack of humidity, or thirst before they make it to their destination.
Hermit crabs also aren’t fans of the Phillies or Mets, so those logos painted on them – along with logos for Superman, Sponge Bob, and the American flag – aren’t natural. Shells may be painted with toxic paint and if it flakes off it can be ingested by the crabs.
However, if someone really wants a crab and is prepared to care for them, there are options.
Mary Akers is a crab breeder, and the first person in the United States to be able to successfully breed crabs in her home. She also is a part of “Crab Con,” an informational and adoption convention.
She encourages people to adopt crabs from breeders like herself, or from people on Facebook and Craigslist, who can no longer care for their pets. This way, one can still take care of a crab without giving money to organizations supporting the conditions that people treat the animal. In doing so, people will be able to empathize and understand the issue on a deeper level.
“The first thing we need to do is make people understand and value them,” said Akers. “Right, understand the complex creatures that they are.”
Hermit crabs require climate-controlled cages and special diets
Hermit crabs need a spacious, warm, humid climate to survive and thrive. And that means the “free” cage that often comes with a crab won’t cut it.
In order to properly care for a hermit crab, the owner must keep it in a tank at 80% humidity at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Groeling recommends buyers with one hermit crab to purchase a 20 gallon tank, at the smallest. This changes based on how many crabs are in the tank.
In order to keep a hermit crab alive and thriving, pet owners must carefully curate a mix between fresh water and salt water. With the saline water, the tiny critters’ sense of smell is stimulated, encouraging them to eat, and freshwater is used by the hermit crabs to drink and bathe.
Another challenge for crab owners is figuring out what to feed them.
Experts suggest a mix of fresh foods like fruit and vegetables, but they also need sources of calcium and other nutrients. Groeling also suggests proteins like dried sea bass and dried calamari.
Like all pets, hermit require a substantial investment of time and money.
Hermit crabs are social
In their natural habitats, hermit crabs live in groups and so they need companions to thrive. However, not all hermit crabs are compatible and if they are constantly attacking each other that is also an issue.
Hermit crabs also require stimulation – places to dig, climb and hide. The long list of necessary accessories includes play sand, food dishes, water pools and climbing toys.
Groeling is in the process of starting up her own business called “Norton’s Nest,” which sells hermit crab hammocks made of loofah material so that the items don’t mold in the humid tank.
“My own crabs, at least, like to snuggle in it and sit in it,” she said. “So it’ll be really cute to see others doing that too. I always tell people like it’s really important to have hiding and climbing accessories in your tank.”
Hermit crabs need protecting
In addition to learning how to care for your own hermit crab, advocates also say that there is a need for wider campaigns to help educate the public of the issues of boardwalk hermit crabs.
And there are organizations like PETA, the Hermit Crab Association and the Land Hermit Crab Owners Society that do that.
Akers likens the plight of hermit crabs to that of other exotic animals like parrots or tortoises.
“Those used to be taken from the wild and sold and people said, ‘Wait a minute, these animals live for decades, why are we doing this to them?’” she said.
Today, there are more laws that regulate the capture, transport and selling of exotic animals. And she hopes that some day the same will be true for hermit crabs.
Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels
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