Varuna - dead?

Questions about unexpected problems.
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Wai
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Re: Varuna's shell fight

Post by Wai »

Varuna is still unmoving and I can smell a faint scent from her, but I don't know if it is the dead smell or not. Marie, did Cuddles remain odourless for the whole two weeks?
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Re: Varuna's shell fight

Post by ladybug15057 »

No, towards the last couple days she began to get a bit of a fishy odor, and it began to get a little stronger. When she looked very ill/dead to me it was almost a silicone type smell.
Edited to ask...
Wai I just read back and see you returned to Aus. on July 18. Would you happen to know exactly when Varuna molted last time?
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Wai
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Re: Varuna's shell fight

Post by Wai »

Yes, I recorded the day when Varuna surfaced from her first moult - 3 April 2009. I remember clearly that she took less than two weeks to surface. Since over three month's time has passed, moulting again for a small hermit crab like Varuna shouldn't be surprising. She appeared very healthy after her first moult too.

Varuna's odour isn't very strong, so it might just be the moulting odour. A week has passed and the odour still isn't very strong, so she might still be alive. Thankfully I didn't bury her in the garden.
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Re: Varuna's shell fight

Post by ladybug15057 »

I am not that familiar with Aussie hermies, but premolt Aussie hermies are basically the same as those sold here in the U.S. It might be the way the picture was taken, but the coloring looks 'off'? Is she positioned like that within what appears to be a solid type container pushed against the glass wall? Where would/is the food and water?
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Wai
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Re: Varuna's shell fight

Post by Wai »

Never mind, I am certain that Varuna is dead. After changing the substrate to sand, the dead smell became overwhelming and was no doubt nasty. I peered further into Varuna's shell and saw that her abdomen was all rotten and black. It was absolutely terrible to see that one of my favourite hermit crabs had been reduced to a decomposed body. :'( RIP, Varuna...
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Re: Varuna - dead?

Post by hermit crab101 »

i hope varuna is not dead good luck
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Re: Varuna - dead?

Post by anniehorsekrab »

Oh, Wai.... How terrible.... -.-
~Annie

(and Mr. Krabs, Your Shyness, Scooter, Mr. Krabs Jr, Zipper, and Beechie of course!)
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Re: Varuna - dead?

Post by Salt and Pepper »

The picture of Varuna on her back is exactly how my E, "Cocoa", looked when he was dead. I didn't smell him, no odors at all. I came check on him later and he was still like that. I touched him gently and his whole body shiffted loosely. I tilted him back- his limbs frailed back. His eyes were in the normal crab position. He didn't fall out at all. We shook him very softly to see if any movement would occur. His whole body shook. We pointed him downwards a little, because usually he will come out and greet you. He then fell loosely on the ground.

Anyways, I'm very sorry to hear about Varuna. By your signature, she is a very pretty crab.
Sorry for the loss, RIP Varuna -.- .
I love all my hermies! They are all PPs.
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Peach

New plexi glas lid :D
RIP Helena and Luna-Who died molting...
and Salt and Pepper, my first hermies that died to lack of proper care <3
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Re: Varuna - dead?

Post by CrabbyJo »

I'm sorry about Varuna, Wai. You did take very good care of her. Sometimes we just don't know what has happened, and we lose our little ones. You gave her a very good home, and now I'm sure she's climbing the cholla on the rainbow bridge with all our other little ones. RIP Varuna.
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