Coenobita clypeatus
Land Hermit Crab
Hermit crabs are long-lived, social invertebrates routinely sold as disposable holiday souvenirs. With a humid, deep-substrate tank they can live for decades.
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At a glance
- Scientific name
- Coenobita clypeatus
- Family
- Coenobitidae
- Origin
- Caribbean and western Atlantic coastlines
- Lifespan
- 20–30 years in good conditions
- Adult size
- 5–15 cm
- Weight
- 50–200 g
- Temperament
- Social, nocturnal and shy
- Activity level
- Moderate at night
- Social needs
- High — keep groups of three or more
- Intelligence
- Learns routines and recognises shell options
- Noise
- Occasional chirping
Housing and environment
- Housing
- Minimum 75 litre glass tank for a small group, with 15 cm of damp sand-and-coir substrate
- Space requirement
- Floor space plus deep substrate to bury for moulting
- Temperature
- 24–28°C
- Humidity
- 70–85% — essential for their modified gills
- Exercise
- Climbing branches and deep substrate for moulting
- Grooming
- Not applicable; needs both fresh and salt water pools for shell water
Life stages and changing needs
Expanded care guidance · Updated 7 October 2026 · Not professionally reviewed
Young animals and settling in
A newly acquired hermit crab needs a quiet settling period in a warm, humid tank with deep substrate for burrowing, since this species frequently buries itself to moult and can remain hidden for weeks without this being cause for alarm. Provide a choice of correctly sized empty shells from the start, since an animal without an appropriately fitting spare shell can become stressed or injured switching shells later.
Adult care and reproductive changes
Hermit crabs are social and should be kept in a small group rather than alone, with enough spare shells of various sizes for every individual to change as it grows. Shell competition can turn aggressive if choice is limited, occasionally resulting in a crab being forcibly evicted from its shell, which leaves it dangerously exposed. These crabs do not reliably breed in captivity, since larval development typically requires a marine environment most home setups cannot replicate.
Later life and changing needs
Hermit crabs can live for many years with stable husbandry, far longer than their common short captive lifespans suggest when care is inadequate. Moulting frequency naturally slows with age and size, and a large, long-buried crab is not necessarily unwell. Declining activity, a foul smell from the substrate, or a crab that remains outside its shell and unresponsive needs prompt attention rather than being dismissed as normal ageing.
Diet and feeding
Varied: fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seaweed, calcium sources and protein
Land hermit crabs need a varied omnivorous diet including commercial hermit crab food, unseasoned fruit and vegetables, and occasional protein such as plain cooked fish or egg, rather than relying on a single dry commercial mix. Avoid food preserved with copper sulphate or containing added preservatives, since crabs are highly sensitive to copper, which can be fatal even in small amounts found in some commercial foods and certain water sources.
Provide both dechlorinated fresh water and marine-salt water in shallow dishes with easy entry and exit, since hermit crabs need access to both types for gill moisture and osmoregulation. A crab that stops eating or moving normally should prompt a check of humidity and temperature first, since inadequate humidity is a very common and often overlooked cause of lethargy, failed moults and premature death in this species.
Daily care and ongoing checks
Every day
Check substrate humidity and tank temperature with reliable gauges every day, since hermit crabs breathe using modified gills that require consistently humid air to function; dry conditions are a leading cause of death in captivity. Offer fresh food and both fresh and marine water daily, removing uneaten portions before they spoil in the warm, humid environment. Provide a choice of empty spare shells sized slightly larger than the crab's current one at all times.
Regular maintenance and prevention
Avoid unnecessary handling, since hermit crabs can drop a limb defensively when stressed, and never pull a crab from its shell forcibly. Check tank security, since these crabs are capable climbers and escape artists. Watch for a crab burying itself completely, which is normal premoult behaviour, but note the date so a buried crab is not disturbed, which can fatally interrupt the moulting process.
Behaviour and compatibility
Shell swapping, night foraging, burying for weeks to moult
- With children
- Good observation pets; limit handling to brief, low sessions
- With other animals
- Keep with other hermit crabs only
- Training difficulty
- Not applicable
Health
- Death during moult if disturbed
- Dehydration
- Shell fights from lack of spare shells
- Chemical poisoning
- Stress from painted shells
Almost no veterinary support exists; husbandry accuracy is everything
Special care requirements
Never dig up a buried crab and always offer several correctly sized natural shells
Humidity, shell choice and moulting safety
Land hermit crabs breathe through modified gills that need consistently humid air to function; dry conditions are a leading and often overlooked cause of lethargy and death in captivity. Always provide a choice of correctly sized spare shells, since shell competition can turn aggressive when choice is limited.
A crab burying itself completely is normal premoult behaviour and should not be disturbed, since interrupting a moult can be fatal. Avoid any copper-containing food, water source or decoration entirely, since hermit crabs are highly sensitive to copper even at trace levels.
Before you take one on
Sources and further guidance
These welfare and veterinary resources inform general husbandry advice; they do not certify this profile or replace a species-experienced professional. Confirm exact environmental settings and feeding plans for your animal.
Can your home meet land hermit crab needs?
- Plan for a lifespan of 20–30 years in good conditions, including holiday cover and, where one is available, a vet familiar with this species. Lifespan ranges are not guarantees.
- Arrange the social setting before arrival. Social guidance for this species: High — keep groups of three or more. Do not assume another animal of any species is a suitable companion.
- Habitat priority for this species: Floor space plus deep substrate to bury for moulting. Make sure your setup can provide this consistently. Measure temperatures and humidity with thermometers and a hygrometer rather than guessing.
- Key care point: Never dig up a buried crab and always offer several correctly sized natural shells. Discuss diet and any specialist needs with the supplier, rescue and a vet who treats this species, and check local legal requirements before acquiring an animal.
Educational reference, not an individual diagnosis or a verified professional review. Read our editorial policy.
Guidance libraries and further reading
These organisations publish relevant guidance. Their links are further reading, not evidence that they have reviewed this page.