Talk:Hermit crab

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is within the scope of WikiProject Arthropods, a collaborative effort to improve and expand Wikipedia's coverage of arthropods. If you would like to participate, visit the project page where you can join the project and/or contribute to discussion.
B This article has been rated as B-class on the quality scale.
Mid This article has been rated as mid-importance on the importance scale.

Article Grading:
The article has been rated for quality and/or importance but has no comments yet. If appropriate, please review the article and then leave comments here to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the article and what work it will need.

Contents

[edit] Optimum habitat temperature

The Temperature must be kept between 76-82 degrees F sustained and the humidity must be between 75%-85% relative.

The conditions must be monitored constantly through the use of either dial type gauges or digital gauges. You are also reccomended to have a themometer that can be stuck down into the sand/substrate to read the temp. of the substrate which should be kwpt warm with the use of a UTH or under tank heater. That temp should range about the same as the air temp.

Have a couple sets of gauges, one close to the substrate level and the other set aobut mid way up the glass.. you need to make sure there are both light and shady areas of the tank and warm and cool areas.

[edit] Distinguish b/w male and female

SO IS IT A BOY OR A GIRL?? FOR the land hermit crab only

Take your crab in your hand, hold him/her above your line of sight.

Take your free hand and bring it steadily in front of your crab.

Allow him/her to stretch out to try to reach your free hand. (You can even use a pencil for this, in case he or she is pinchy.)

While the crab is stretching out of it's shell try to look on the underside of the legs.

Now the last pair of walking legs is where you need to look, right where they attach to the Hermie's body.

If you see small blackish dots or spots (one on each leg) then it is a GIRL!!!

NO dots or spots, it's a BOY!!!

Here is further info on the dots and what they do...

These "dots" are actually called Gonopores. They are close to the body near the joint of the last pair of walking legs of the Hermit Crabs.

This is where the male Hermit Crab will transfer his Spermatophore into the female. Though I have read it is transferred onto the female and not within. I guess since they do not reproduce successfully while in captivity, there will be much debate and discussion about this topic.

(Please also note the blackish/dark spots or dots may also be like tiny round holes depending on the actual species)

SO IN CONCLUSION...

Despite of what you may have been told or read while learning about Land Hermit Crabs, it is VERY POSSIBLE to sex your crab and quite simple with patience and a cooperative crab.

Be gentle and take your time, sometimes they can be shy.. wouldn't you be?

[edit] Paguroidea: infraorder or superfamily?

This article describes Paguroidea as an infra-order, while Anomura says it's a superfamily. Is there a consensus in the scientific community? A-giau 19:48, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Any animal taxon ending in -oidea is a superfamily, including Paguroidea. I will change the article now. --Stemonitis 08:31, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Photograph

I just added a photograph of a Hermit Crab I photographed in Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica. I would prefer to place it in a more specific article, but the closest I come to identifying it is as a Land Hermit Crab. Does anyone know more specifics? Btw, other photographs that need identifying can be found at User:DirkvdM/Photographs#Plants_and_Animals. Thanx. DirkvdM 11:23, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Coconut Crab?

I do believe that the coconut crab is not a kind of hermit crab, as this article suggests, but just a similar crab. It's genus is Birgus, not Coenoebita. Is this correct, or do I have something wrong? authraw 02:38, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

The coconut crab, Birgus latro, is indeed a hermit crab. It is in the same family (Coenobitidae) as the more typically shell-using terrestrial hermit crabs Coenobita. Newly settled Birgus occupy snail shells in the same manner as Coenobita, but eventually abandon the habit while still quite small. For more information, see:

Reese, E. S. 1968. Shell use: an adaptation for emigration from the sea by the coconut crab. Science 161: 385—386.

Reese, E. S.; Kinzie, R. A. III. 1968. Studies on decapod larval development: The larval development of the coconut or robber crab Birgus latro (L.) in the laboratory (Anomura, Paguridea). Crustaceana Supplement 2: 117—144. Clibanarius 15:26, 5 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Question about lifespan and rate of growth

Thank you for the page. I was wondering if someone in the know could write something about how long hermit crabs live and the rate of growth. Thank you.

Stemonitis will not allow us to add that info, he continues to remove all information that we have added therefor the article will remoain the sole ownership of him and had made it obvious that no one is aloowed to edit it or improve it in anyway.

That's not true. You just need to remember that this is an encyclopaedia and not a pet owner's manual. Information about lifespan in the wild would be highly appreciated, particularly if it comes from a cited source. --Stemonitis 16:12, 12 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Are They Endangered?

Hello, I was wondering if the hermit crabs are endangered?

[edit] Species in Costa Rica?

Does anyone know?? (on the Pacific side). Please tell me, thanks. --207.69.137.41 05:59, 20 January 2007 (UTC) too lazy to login

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../h/e/r/Talk%7EHermit_crab_195b.html"