(Didn't include my bibliography)Many people these days are attracted to painted shells for their hermit crabs. Since many hermit crabs being sold in pet stores are in painted shells, people automatically think that it’s okay. Most pet stores know nothing on the proper maintenance of these pets and try to pass off that information to buyers. The salesperson assures the consumer that this is an inexpensive pet that is very low maintenance.
Painted shells are not suitable for any hermit crab. They may look beautiful and appealing, but the truth is: is that it could possibly kill them. Hermit crabs eat nearly anything and everything in their environment, thus when the pain chips they will be very tempted to consume it. The paint itself is not toxic, but the clear coating on top is toxic to hermit crabs. Weick states: “When crabs are kept in a sandy substrate deep enough to bury as we advocate, the sand acts as sand paper and eventually the shells begin to chip. Since hermit crabs eat so much of what is in their environment, there is a chance they could ingest that.” (6).
They paint on the shells is not the biggest controversy, the method in which the hermit crabs end up in the shells is the largest and most disturbing part. Hermit crabs usually are tortured out of their natural shells and forced into the painted shells. Some of these methods, stated by Wai Wong, include:
1. “Freeze the hermit crab in a refrigerator or similar to loosen their grip on their unpainted shell.
2. Heat the shell that the hermit crab is wearing with a flame or similar until the hermit crab evacuates its unpainted shell in fright.
3. Drill a hole in the hermit crab's unpainted shell and poke its abdomen until it leaves its shell.
4. Shatter the hermit crab's unpainted shell using a hammer or similar tool.
5. Drop the hermit crab onto the hard floor to shatter their shell.
6. Pull the hermit crab out of its shell using bare hands.” (4)
Hermit crabs will not give up their shell unless they’re vigorously tortured out of them or they die trying to keep their shell. This is extreme torture to these crustaceans. Hermit crabs are a part of the animal kingdom and should have the same rights as other animals. Just because they’re small and some people find them abnormal looking, doesn’t mean that people have the right to put these creatures through this.
There are many activists trying to stop the fabrication of painted shells being produced for hermit crab use. Contacting producers and signing petitions doesn’t seem to be doing enough. Everyone needs to work together to make this cruelty finally come to an end. This is wrong, and should never be done to any animal. Think twice about buying a hermit crab in a painted shell thinking it’s “pretty”. You never know what they had to go though to end in that shell.
I read through it a coule times and I didn't that. And thanks. It was short because it couldn't be longer than one page.
we really need to get word out about mistreatments and painted shells. I hope one day people will start treating hermit crabs like theyre a real pet.
