Upside-down withdrawn hermit crabs in pet stores

[Wai]

One thing I've noticed in the hermit crab tanks of pet stores are hermit crabs that are slammed shut in their shell, but they're also laying on their backs, with their big claw facing directly up at the roof. These hermit crabs also seem to make no effort to get up. Are these hermit crabs stressed to the point where they've simply given up and want to die?

[NotaMallard]

I noticed that in Petco a few days ago! I also wondered this.

[emmac350]

In my experience, that's because the store employees are trying to entice them to get up and move so they look like a more interesting pet. They flip them, hoping someone will see them flip themselves back over. The crabs usually are too scared to flip back over. Or, if they're PPs like mine, they're too shy to do it. My guys wouldn't even do it in their bathwater.

[deathbatbabe6661]

i think they put them like that so people see the claws,or color,try to get there attention.

[greenshellhermit]

hopefully its not them wanting them to die

[deathbatbabe6661]

ive even heard of people selling dead hermit crabs

[pookie_spike09]

ive noticed that they dont put shells 4 the hermit crabs 2 change into!! !!

[HermieLove19]

When hermit crabs came into our store one cold winter day, the employees took out the hermies to warm them up. It was like they iso-ed them so they wouldn't die. Then two days later they went into the main store tank. One hermie was left behind in the infirmary and it said on his tank that he needed to change shells and that he burrows. I don't think they realize they need to molt! or die! Even though I work at a retail pet store I feel like I don't even have an advantage. I need to speak to customers directly if they are buying a hermit crab in order for them to provide the right set up. Do you think I could leave caresheets from here near the hermit crab display at work? I think there is way too much to know to just fit it on one page. I'll need to get a copy of the caresheet they offer and make some of my own changes to it and tell the general manager about it.

But to keep with the subject, where I work they let the hermies do their thing and they don't flip them around so people see them. I would most likely protest that if they did it.