Shorty eating Buddy's exo??

[Donna M]

Buddy has been buried in a molt since February. Shorty, who successfully molted months ago, has been leaving him alone, until lately. Now he's constantly drawn to Buddy's area, (who's buried and under a hut) and no matter how I try to block his way, Shorty has been finding a way in. The other day I came home and found Shorty in the middle of the tank with a crab leg on the substrate in front of him! It has to be Buddy's. I thought molting crabs put out hormones so the other crabs knew to stay away?

I have thought of moving Buddy to an isolation tank, but don't want to freak him out while he's finishing his molt. Do you think Shorty is attacking Buddy?? Or do you think he just absconded with a loose leg? I give my crabs crushed oyster shell, so I don't think they are lacking in calcium.

I'm a bit nervous about this, so your responses/suggestions would be most welcome!

Thanks,

Donna M.

[Hermie's rule]

Take out Shorty and put him in the iso. The crabs put out hormones that attract all the others not vice versa!!! I don't know what the problem with them is. Keep Shorty in the iso until Buddy finishes his molt. That should partially teach him how to behave for the time being. Be careful there cause I've heard of other crabs eating the molters.

[krackersmom2]

I agree with "Hermie's rule" ...ISO the crab who is stealing the exo! Your other guy needs all the exo he can get to regenerate a new exo.

[Donna M]

You'll never guess what. Buddy came up from his molt this morning! He's bright red and looks healthy and it appears that everything went well. (I'm dying to examine him, but I learned from you guys to leave him alone for awhile while he destresses). I actually got a tear in my eye when I saw him, alive and well. He just looked at me as if to say "What's your problem?". Silly me.

It's so odd that Shorty left him alone until this last week. It's like he knew Buddy was done and returning to the real world!

Now my teeny tiny crab Samson has been buried for over a week. Here we go again! I don't like this molting thing! LOL!

Thanks for your support,
Donna M.

[hermie 5]

Maybe Buddy gave the leg to Shorty and said "here help me eat this I am way too full, and don't let mom see you". "You know how she feels about us eating our good for you foods". HAHA Anyway good news.

[Donna M]

Too funny, Hermie 5! That's exactly what it looked like!

It's also funny, Hermies Rule, that I thought the hormones kept other crabs away, but it's actually the reverse. Ah, my poor tired brain........

Thanks again,

Donna M.

[Hildegarde]

Glad everything went well, after all. Bet Buddy and Shorty are bosom buds by now!

[Donna M]

Ah, Hildegarde, nothing could be farther from the truth. They used to be the same size, and Buddy was the aggressive one. He didn't seem to like Shorty too much. I thought hermit crabs are supposed to be social creatures?? Buddy used to walk up to Shorty and rock his shell, and poor Shorty was pretty intimidated. NOW that they have both molted, Shorty grew larger but Buddy didn't. So guess who's the aggressor now?

Shorty was under a hut and Buddy was headed towards it, ready to settle down for a nap, until Shorty reared up and extended two of his legs straight out to the sides. He was literally blocking the entrance so Buddy couldn't get in! It was amazing. Poor Buddy retreated like a bat out of you know where. If he had a tail, it would've been tucked in between his legs! LOL!

I started with just one crab, but got two more because I read that they don't like to live alone. But they never socialize and never want to be even slightly close to each other. I don't get it.

[Hildegarde]

Perfect time to get more hermies!!

[alli'smommy]

Originally Posted by Hildegarde

Perfect time to get more hermies!!

Sounds like a good excuse to get more to me!!!