How long before your crabs were used to you?

[ladybug15057]

CrabbyJo hermies will not pinch just to pinch. Hermies will grab out with their pincher when they have the fear of falling to hold on. (like we use our hands if we feel as though we are going to fall) Thing being, hermies have pinchers. (no DOH) But hold your hand flat and out stretched, and hold the hermie with your other hand by the sides of their shell out of pincher way. You'll notice once picked up most times their legs and pinchers begin to 'fly'. This is in reality reaching for something to hold onto. Place them onto your hand and hold onto them with your hand tight.
Hermies have no depth perception and yes they will walk right off of the edge of anything, and some that have done this were seriously injured.
As for running the hermie under warm water to get them to let go, as some have found out this only makes the hermie pinch harder and for a longer period of time as well due to being startled. Also, the tap water with the chlorine in it will cause the hermies gills to get blisters.
Best way to get a hermie to let go? While biting your tongue to keep from screaming quietly lay your hand on a flat surface and stay still. Once the hermie feels no movement and secure he will let go and walk off.

[deathbatbabe6661]

thats what i usally do.if you have a REALLY big crab, where gloves,and it wont hurt if he pinches you. just dont use the kind with the little rubber dots they like to peel them off

[deathbatbabe6661]

i would really just wear them with new crabs, because there scared and stressed,and not use to the feel of your hand and scent, and the sounds...so all that jumbled together would probly make him wanna pinch, even though crabs pinch when they feel they may fall, but crabbie one of my old ones,would pinch me out of no where and go in his shell,thats where he got the name crabbie.but you do want them to get used to YOU not the gloves...

[emmac350]

How new of crabs are you talking here? I mean, you shouldn't be handling crabs that are new or new to you for at least 4 weeks to allow them time to destress and molt if needed.

If you do use gloves, make sure they haven't been used for anything gross (oil spills, gardening, etc.) to ensure they transmit no harmful chemicals to your crabs.

[CrabbyJo]

Well what I was really afraid of was him getting startled as I was walking with him while he was on my hand, and he's crawling along like nothings going on, and I thought oh no I could startle him and he'll grab hold ouch lol.

Honestly I haven't held him since then (couple weeks ago), not from fear, but because I rarely see them come out and about and I don't want to disturb them when they are sleeping. I'd love to hold Barnaby again, he's a neat little guy, and not nearly as shy as Jeffrey and Rerun.

Do you guys pick up your crabs when they're hiding out? Maybe I should be picking them up anyway near my own bedtime, to get them used to me, even though they aren't being active at that time? I won't do that until I hear some positive answers from you all. I'm so worried about stressing them hehe.

We got Barnaby on Dec. 20th, and the little E's we have had for about 3 weeks.

I don't think I'll use gloves, holding the hand tight sounds fine, and I'll stop being a chicken about it.

[Jaci]

I think that the more you handle them, the more used they will be to you. There is no set time frame really. They do get used to being handled after a while. Ike rarely goes into his shell when he's being picked up. He's out and acts like Super Crab until he lands on something, then he takes off running wherever he wants. He's pretty funny.

[CrabbyJo]

Judging how fast these little guys can scurry when they really want to, I'm thinking of picking up a play pool for them this summer! lol. Not for water, just for containment

[ladybug15057]

We have the baby pools and my daughter named it the "Baby pool jungle gym". We also made homemade toys for within them too for the hermies to climb and get even more exercise.









We keep the toys towards the center so they cannot climb them and drop out of the pool. Amazing what one can do too with a roll of gutter guard and cable ties!!

[CrabbyJo]

That looks great ladybug! Thanks for sharing the pictures! I think you posted about the gutter guard on another crabbing forum i was reading just the other day. These pics are more detailed though, I love it!

[ladybug15057]

Thank you and you're welcome. They also sell the gutter guard in the harder 'sheet' type form too and due to how stiff of a plastic it is it can make for some creative inexpensive type second levels too. Another thing that works for making ladders and such (but not so bendable) is the plastic craft sheets sold and they come in a variety of colors too. I use one of those as the flooring to my second levels since there are spaces between the bars of the stacking shelves. With that I use the plastic craft thread they sell to hold it onto the stacking rack. (yes I am fussy too, the thread coloring matches the craft sheet that is being put on)