Will crabs kill for a new home?

[jkhudson]

I have a red leg hermit who is sporting a conch shell. Problem is, I think my conch was in it at the time the crab found it. Will hermits kill snails for their shells?

 

[djc1026]

Yes they will. If you have hermits, you need to keep a variety of different sized shells, or be prepared to replenish the snail population. IME, they tend to only kill snails that seem to have the right size shell, however this could be several of similar size snails because the fit might not be to their liking once they're inside. If you watch the crabs, they'll feel all over the outside of a shell before going in if it seems noticeable, I bit like phrenology maybe

Dave

 

[dugg]

Yes they will.

 

[kpk]

Yep exactly why I got rid of the crabs. Crabs are good cleaners though...

 

[herpchat]

And here I am thinking of getting some.

Actually I have a crab that lives in a rock and it won't come out at all. I put shells by its rock hoping it would come out and grab one but it has not yet.

I still have no idea what kind of crab it is either.

 

[pwhitby]

red legs generally are safer...blue legs will massacre snails just to try a shell on for size.

 

[lawboy888]

bastards no wonder i am running out of snails...either that or my damn red coris...which is lunch now for my eels...