Molted Crab or Hiding Crab?

[krsicinski]

For well over two months now, my small hermie has been buried underneath his substrate. I know that it usually takes only about two to four weeks for a small hermie to fully molt, so I suspected that my little crab had passed on. Even though I did not detect a fishy smell, I decided to carefully dig a little of the sand out just to make sure. I found what I thought were his limbs and assumed he was dead. Then his shell moved, and I realized that I was just looking at his exoskeleton.

So now I'm confused; I thought that molting hermit crabs should be unable to move at all. Does that mean that he's done molting now? Also, if he's done molting, will me digging him up still cause enough stress to kill him? Will he be okay even if he is molting?

One more thing, the temperature in his tank has been a little low lately. Could this have anything to do with why his molt is taking so long? Or is he just staying underground to stay warm?

[Wai]

He is done moulting once his big claw looks glossy and he can run around the tank. Moulting hermit crabs can come out and withdraw into their shells, but probably can't walk around.

Moulters shouldn't be baked in heat. What is the temperature? Is the moulter separated from the other hermit crab?

[ladybug15057]

I know that it usually takes only about two to four weeks for a small hermie to fully molt

Not necessarily, it can take from a few days up to and including 3 months like the larger hermies as well. There is no molting timeline for any sized hermie.

So now I'm confused; I thought that molting hermit crabs should be unable to move at all. Does that mean that he's done molting now?

Being you mentioned you saw the legs, this means he has already drank/ate the molting fluid and has eaten the whole exo torso. This means he should already of started the hardening process.

Or is he just staying underground to stay warm?

Molting is a critical time in a hermies life, and they are super weakened from the process. Due to how traumatic of an experience this is, it does take them awhile (some longer than others) to totally recover from a molt. They will usually stay ‘under cover/hidden’ until they feel they are up to par and take on what lies outside of their molting nests. Please leave him be, he will know when he is ready. (do block him from the others if you have not done so already)