Hermit Crab Drama!

[CritterHill]

That is a good point, Pat, about the severity of the badly kept crab situation. I had not thought about that, but I can see how that is a real problem.

I had mentally equated it to the easter chick situation, but lacking definitive statistics, I can certainly believe it is an order of magnitude worse.

Ok, I am coming around. The anthropomorphic argument fell flat since a well kept crab isn't mistreated and is a happy crab, but I can see that is probably the minority situation.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Also, the survival of chicks from hatchery to wherever they're being sold is generally high. The survival of hermit crabs from capture to retail outlet, AFAIK is pretty grim, like comparable to many kinds of wild-caught reef (marine) fish, i.e. in the general vicinity of 50-90% mortality

I used to know someone who worked in one of those knicknack stores on the NJ boardwalk and used to unpack shipments of crabs.

Which is a shame because I think hermit crabs are really cool critters and I would love to get a few for the kids to watch (not hold, *watch*). But I won't. Sigh.

Pat