Tad freaked out, I think all is ok but freaky

[AIKakashi]

ok... I have an electric blue hermit crab. He's an awesome little guy... though he enjoys eating my snails. but I digress.

I came to feed my fish today and I noticed something weird that wasn't there this morning, something bright blue a few inches away from him.

HIS LEGS!!!!!

this is what I saw!!!! (Sorry bout my sucky camera.)

I picked him up and saw this

kinda see those pinchers circled? (Hard to see in the crappy photo. I don't know how to use my camera yet maybe its operator error. I don't know. but you can kinda see them.

they are where the legs were.

IS THAT NORMAL?! And what do I do with the legs? Just fish them out and flush them? Does he eat them? I mean gross!!

 

[Cafe Jeff]

He's molted? Jeff

 

[AIKakashi]

that's what I wondered. I've searched everywhere online but I can't find anything on electric blue hermit crabs losing legs like baby teeth.

It really freaked me out... but he seems to be ok, and there are pinchers where the legs are suppose to be, my only worry, were they always there and because of the legs I never noticed them... what do I do with the legs? throw them away... does he eat them? Eww gross but some animals do shed their body parts and eat them. eww gross.

I mean... no one told me about this happening and no one has information about this.

 

[roka64]

My fire shrimp molted last weekend. There was a really neat parts of his exoskeleton in the tank. I left it there because it looked pretty cool, the next day his molted shell was gone....Some one ate it...

 

[lmw80]

Normally they will eat their own molts, it's a good source of food for them. Maybe he just hadn't gotten to the leg part yet?

 

[AIKakashi]

bleh