Asked on the Crustacean Forum by Kupo on 3/8/03, 12:30 am
Q: Missing part of Hermit crab's leg
I have two hermit crabs and I've never seen them fight, but today I noticed that one of them is missing a part of one of its legs. Is the two of them fighting the only way that could have happened?
Answered by WildWonders on 3/8/03, 6:02 pm
A: Missing part of Hermit crab's leg
Often times hermit crabs will drop their legs in an effort to save the rest of their body if habitat conditions are not ideal. But considering your hermit crab is only missing part of it's leg, it is most likely do to another cause.
It could be he got the tip of his leg got in a peice of wood or part of his hide. Another possibility is that the other hermit crab wanted this hermit crab's shell. The aggressor will try to pry the victim out of the coveted shell, which often results in broken limbs, or the victim changing another shell and leaving his original shell to the aggressor.
Regardless of the scenerio, it is not a dangerous 'wound', however it's good to prevent legs from breaking in the future.
