| Ecuadorian Hermit Crabs!!! |
| This page is dedicated to our new clan of Ecuadorian hermit crabs, bought at Animal Jungle in Virginia Beach. Ecuadorians differ in a few ways from typical Carribean (purple pincher) hermit crabs. Some of these differences include coloring, body shape, eyes, preference for shells, water needs, activity level, and vocalizations! The Ecuadorian crabs are first distinguishable by their distinct coloring. While the Carribean crabs have a more purple or red tint to their exoskeletons, the Ecuadorian crabs can range from a tan, to blue, to greenish, to black in color. Secondly, their bodies are a different shape than Carribean crabs. The body of the Ecuadorian crab is noticibly more flat and wide than that of the Carribeans, who tend to have a taller, narrower body. Further, the shape of the eyes of the two species differs. The Ecuadorian crabs have more of an oblong shaped eye, whereas the Carribean crab has a very round eye. Another distinguishing feature of the Ecuadorian crab is its preference for shells. Carribean crabs tend to like a turbo type spiraled shell with a very round opening. Ecuadorians on the other hand like shells with a more oblong shaped opening and tend to prefer smaller shells to the Carribeans from my experience. They don't retract fully into their shells, but rather clasp their flatter legs together outside of the shell to make a veritable wall of defense from possible intruders. When caring for Ecuadorian crabs, another issue arises. While the Carribean crabs seem to like having saltwater to play in, this addition to your crabitat is vital for the Ecuadorians. For our crabitats, we use a proper mixture of a product called "Instant Ocean" and place this in a small bowl in the crabitat. Don't put a sponge in your saltwater bowl though... the sponge will start to smell. Ecuadorian crabs also make for some added fun in that they are much more active than the typical Purple Pincher crab. When bath time comes about, it is sometimes hard to keep up with all of the little guys. In fact, they are so quick, that one has earned the name "speedy." Finally, one big difference between Carribean and Ecuadorian crabs is the sounds they make. Yes, that is right, Ecuadorian crabs vocalize. Well, really it is called stridulating. The theory is that the crabs rub their rigid innards together to make a soft croaking sound. From reviewing the literature, it appears as though this behavior is more common in male crabs, and is frequently heard when the crab is irritated by something. This appears to be the case in our crabitat as well as whenever one looks in the tank upon hearing the crabs chirping one often finds an unhappy crab being sat on by another. |