Winter Madness with Hermies in Deep Freeze

[babesbarn]

I am upset with seeing in New Jersey in Smithville, a village store that is
#1- an old building dating 1600's as a store with hermie crab and seashore items in December.
2- Hermie Crabs in a cold cage with "some" glass around it by the cold window (not thermal)
3- Painted shells and a sign that gives a free hermit crab with the purchase of the plastic/wired cage
4-No humidity at all and the poor crabs were all cuddled together and some scattered and barely moving.
5- Was clean but not properly warm, a good 60 degrees inside next to the door yet.
6- I wanted to get them but was afraid they were sick and mine are doing real good so far a year and a half now.

The painted shells were by the hundreds. How could they live?????
Well vented...now feel better.

[Wai]

It is shocking indeed, a bit like my encounter with Coburg Aquarium's tank in another post I made years ago. People are stupid... hermit crabs are clearly not warm-blooded but are still treated as such by them.

As much as I would like to do more rescuing, I convinced myself that my tank is at maximum capacity (seeing how dangerously close some of the crabs moulted to each other), so I guess the 15 I have now will be the same 15 I'll have after a few years, assuming none die over time (hopefully).

[babesbarn]

Wow, I just looked at your very detailed list of molts and deaths etc on the crabbies you have had. Some moulted more than twice in a year. I wonder if it is possible for one to moult and be not aware and see them often around. I do not recall seeing Spiderman moult at all but he is with me a good year and a half and the others, not sure although spiderman looks smaller these days but eats, climbs, color good, digs, comes up next day. None of my crabbies (3) seem to be interested in going into caverns of plastic hideaways. They all hang out on the upper level basket.
Thanks for your imput...Wish I could do a bigger tank but everytime I try something new I lose one. They are fine in 10 gallon.