RIP Tiffany

MoribundMaverick · 03-21-2008, 01:54 PM

Some of you may remember a little over a month ago in February, when my hermit crab Tiffany had a suprise molt in her water bowl, and emerged almost a week later missing all of the limbs on the left side of her body.
I had to hand-feed her using a tooth pick, and keep constant check on her. She made what appeared to be a wonderful and quick recovery. She started to sproud the beginnings of little gel legs, and even got to the point where she could feed herself, and eventually she wouldn't let me feed her at all, she had become so independent. She was doing great, and I was thinking about adding in a few more hermit crabs for her to play with, when about four days ago she just stopped moving.
She stayed in the same spot for over a day, which I found odd, because she tends to be very active. The next day I squirted her lightly with water. No reaction. I tried to give her a bath, but gave up immediately because she just stayed in her shell. I put her back in her tank and waited for the too familiar fish smell.
It finally came this morning. She never even popped out of her shell or anything. She was still in it, and I could see her little head leaning against the inside wall. I picked her up and she kind of shifted a bit, but it was only out of deadness. I took her outside to burry her, and when I put her into her grave, she fell all the way out of her shell. It was the first time I ever saw her tummy, and it was all black and blue and gooey, which I know it is not supposed to be.
Her death took me by complete suprise, and I still don't know what happened.
Does anybody have any idea?
Is this related to her molt, or is it something completely different? And why did her abdomen look like she had frost bite??

krackersmom2 · 03-21-2008, 04:51 PM

The color of her abdomen was probably rigor mortis (sp?) the blood pooling.....I'm sorry to hear about her passing. I remember your story well. I know it hurts more when you put a great deal of time and effort into helping them out. You were a good crab mamma! Maybe she was getting ready to go into another molt or it was just her time

. Hercules did the same thing when he died, he didn't fall out of his shell....but you he was completely listless and the fishy smell eventually came. Keep my Herbie in you thoughts....he is my little guy that did a surface molt yesterday.

MoribundMaverick · 03-21-2008, 07:18 PM

Oh no. =[
I will deffinately be thinking about him! I had a crab that did a surface molt once, but he did something weird. His exoskeleton never hardened and he ran around naked. He kind of looked like a shrimp or something...
I'll be keeping him in my crabby thoughts and prayers!

krackersmom2 · 03-21-2008, 11:31 PM

That's about what my little guy looks like right now...totally pink!

MoribundMaverick · 03-22-2008, 07:07 AM

What molt number is this for him?
Maybe he just had a stressful molt.. mine molted shortly after my stupid room mate dropped him, AND it was his first molt, so I think that might explain the reason he went shrimpy on me..

Hildegarde · 03-24-2008, 04:33 PM

Yes, I remember how you were hand feeding him because he was in such bad shape. What you did lenghthened his life. It was his time. Very sorry and RIP Tiffany.

MoribundMaverick · 03-25-2008, 05:13 PM

Yes, I'm happy that I got to have her for as long as I did. I just hope she didn't suffer. She didn't really seem to... but it is still very hard because her death was competely unexpected.

03-21-2008, 01:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
MoribundMaverick (Micro Crab) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 110	RIP Tiffany Some of you may remember a little over a month ago in February, when my hermit crab Tiffany had a suprise molt in her water bowl, and emerged almost a week later missing all of the limbs on the left side of her body. I had to hand-feed her using a tooth pick, and keep constant check on her. She made what appeared to be a wonderful and quick recovery. She started to sproud the beginnings of little gel legs, and even got to the point where she could feed herself, and eventually she wouldn't let me feed her at all, she had become so independent. She was doing great, and I was thinking about adding in a few more hermit crabs for her to play with, when about four days ago she just stopped moving. She stayed in the same spot for over a day, which I found odd, because she tends to be very active. The next day I squirted her lightly with water. No reaction. I tried to give her a bath, but gave up immediately because she just stayed in her shell. I put her back in her tank and waited for the too familiar fish smell. It finally came this morning. She never even popped out of her shell or anything. She was still in it, and I could see her little head leaning against the inside wall. I picked her up and she kind of shifted a bit, but it was only out of deadness. I took her outside to burry her, and when I put her into her grave, she fell all the way out of her shell. It was the first time I ever saw her tummy, and it was all black and blue and gooey, which I know it is not supposed to be. Her death took me by complete suprise, and I still don't know what happened. Does anybody have any idea? Is this related to her molt, or is it something completely different? And why did her abdomen look like she had frost bite?? __________________ Tiffany (rip) = my hero. And so does Speck. Yea. Jerzy, Pip, Padre, Lady, and Jack.-- My PP's.

03-21-2008, 04:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
krackersmom2 (Large Crab) Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: South TX (near the beach) Posts: 1,101	Re: RIP Tiffany The color of her abdomen was probably rigor mortis (sp?) the blood pooling.....I'm sorry to hear about her passing. I remember your story well. I know it hurts more when you put a great deal of time and effort into helping them out. You were a good crab mamma! Maybe she was getting ready to go into another molt or it was just her time. Hercules did the same thing when he died, he didn't fall out of his shell....but you he was completely listless and the fishy smell eventually came. Keep my Herbie in you thoughts....he is my little guy that did a surface molt yesterday. __________________ 12 PP's: Spooky, Baby, Flash, Rocky, Herbie, Violet, Fester, Zeus, Neptune, Mars, Luna and Misterie R.I.P:Hercules and Apollo

03-21-2008, 07:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
MoribundMaverick (Micro Crab) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 110	Re: RIP Tiffany Oh no. =[ I will deffinately be thinking about him! I had a crab that did a surface molt once, but he did something weird. His exoskeleton never hardened and he ran around naked. He kind of looked like a shrimp or something... I'll be keeping him in my crabby thoughts and prayers! __________________ Tiffany (rip) = my hero. And so does Speck. Yea. Jerzy, Pip, Padre, Lady, and Jack.-- My PP's.

03-21-2008, 11:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
krackersmom2 (Large Crab) Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: South TX (near the beach) Posts: 1,101	Re: RIP Tiffany That's about what my little guy looks like right now...totally pink! __________________ 12 PP's: Spooky, Baby, Flash, Rocky, Herbie, Violet, Fester, Zeus, Neptune, Mars, Luna and Misterie R.I.P:Hercules and Apollo

03-22-2008, 07:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
MoribundMaverick (Micro Crab) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 110	Re: RIP Tiffany What molt number is this for him? Maybe he just had a stressful molt.. mine molted shortly after my stupid room mate dropped him, AND it was his first molt, so I think that might explain the reason he went shrimpy on me.. __________________ Tiffany (rip) = my hero. And so does Speck. Yea. Jerzy, Pip, Padre, Lady, and Jack.-- My PP's.

03-24-2008, 04:33 PM	#6 (permalink)
Hildegarde (Medium Crab) Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Gainesville, Florida Posts: 749	Re: RIP Tiffany Yes, I remember how you were hand feeding him because he was in such bad shape. What you did lenghthened his life. It was his time. Very sorry and RIP Tiffany. __________________ The Kids: Big Momma, Bwana, BiBi, Honey, Aggie, Stretch, Sparky, Houdini, Tang, Zeke & Izzie; The Big Guys: Kaiser, Mo-de-law', Belle & SuzyQ; and our 15 new Little Ones; all PPs and our baby Es: Killer, Ol' Yeller, Scooter, Mr. Greenjeans, Orange and our tiny Smidgen.

03-25-2008, 05:13 PM	#7 (permalink)
MoribundMaverick (Micro Crab) Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Houston Posts: 110	Re: RIP Tiffany Yes, I'm happy that I got to have her for as long as I did. I just hope she didn't suffer. She didn't really seem to... but it is still very hard because her death was competely unexpected. __________________ Tiffany (rip) = my hero. And so does Speck. Yea. Jerzy, Pip, Padre, Lady, and Jack.-- My PP's.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode