Purple Pincer Land Hermit Crab ( Coenobita clypeatus )

【Rearing Temperature】25-28℃
【Adult Body Color】Adult body color is variable, commonly bluish-purple, purplish-red, or dark brown
【Food】Omnivorous, including fruits, vegetables, crab food, fish, shrimp, cuttlefish bone, eggshells (for calcium), etc.
【Adult Size】(Including chelipeds) Total length can reach 8-10cm
【Living Environment】Terrestrial, land-water environment (do not keep in deep water)

Care Instructions:

• They prefer spacious, well-ventilated environments; glass tanks or reptile enclosures can be used for rearing.
• Substrate must be used; coir, bottom sand, and moss are recommended. Driftwood and hiding places (coir bricks, bottom sand, moss, etc., available online) need to be arranged.
• They are skilled climbers, so the enclosure needs to be covered to prevent escape.
• It is recommended to prepare a separate molting tank, with a thick layer of coir for them to burrow into.
• Insufficient humidity can lead to dry gills, so regular misting is required.
• Hermit crabs cannot drink tap water directly, as it will cause death. Purified water can be used.
• Both a freshwater bowl and a saltwater bowl must be provided simultaneously.
• Daily feeding can include fruits, fish and shrimp meat, or specialized crab food.
• When they are changing shells, you can provide shells that are 1-2cm longer and have an opening 1-2cm wider than their old shells for them to choose from.

Hermit crab size is based on the size of the shell opening:

Hermit crabs with shell lengths of about 1-2cm have shell opening diameters of approximately 0.8-1cm.

Hermit crabs with shell lengths of about 2-3cm have shell opening diameters of approximately 1-1.5cm.

Hermit crabs with shell lengths of about 3-4cm have shell opening diameters of approximately 1.5-2cm.

Hermit crabs with shell lengths of about 4-5cm have shell opening diameters of approximately 2-3cm.

Hermit crabs with shell lengths of about 5-6cm have shell opening diameters of approximately 3-4cm.

(Note: The color of Coenobita clypeatus will change with the number of molts.)

Coenobita clypeatus is a land hermit crab distributed in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean regions, and it is the most common species of land hermit crab in the United States. Coenobita clypeatus are mainly red and peach-red; some individuals are entirely red, while others are light red with purple or orange walking legs. There are also individual cases of orange individuals. Generally, their juveniles are yellowish-brown with light purple left chelipeds, and the red color gradually increases as they grow.