Hermit crabs are omnivorous and will eat almost anything they can find. Their natural diet is primarily planted matter, including fruits, leaves, and other vegetation. In captivity, their diet can be supplemented with a variety of foods. Their natural diet should always provide the bulk of their nutrition. However, they tend to prefer meats and high-protein foods; in the wild, they’ll only eat these things when there are not enough plants available. This article looks at what hermit crabs eat in the wild and what they eat in captivity.
How often do hermit crabs eat?
Hermit crabs can go for quite some time without food; weeks or even months. They usually eat small amounts of food every day, but if they need to they can go without eating for a while. When they are not molting, hermit crabs like to eat things like algae, dead skin cells, and bits of meat. This article looks at what hermit crabs eat in the wild and what they eat in captivity.
Foods Hermit Crabs Love To Eat
Fruit
Hermit crabs love to munch on fruit and other plant matter. They will eat almost anything they can find, including fruits, seeds, leaves, and other fresh vegetation. In the wild, they usually only eat these foods when there are not enough plants available to eat.
Plant matter
Hermit crabs also like to tear up plants and pick through the dirt for food. As well as eating fruit, they will also eat leaves, flowers, stems, and roots of various plants such as berries, grasses, and shrubs.
Meaty food
Hermit crabs love meaty foods such as crickets and mealworms. Mealworms are small insects that live on the underside of houseplants or in the soil near the base of shrubs; they are also sold commercially as “Bugs” or “Worms” in pet shops. Mealworms can be purchased from a number of places including pet shops, garden centers, and online.
Meaty food
Hermit crabs also love to eat meaty foods such as mussels, clams, snails, and other small fish. They will also eat other types of meat such as beef heart and chicken which are sold in pet shops and some supermarkets.
Foods You Should Avoid Feeding Your Hermit Crab
Meat:
Hermit crabs may eat any kind of meat they can find, but this is very dangerous. In the wild, they will only eat meat if they are starving and it’s the only thing available to them. However, in captivity, a hermit crab can develop a bad habit of eating its own body weight in meat in a short period of time. This could lead to serious health problems.
Raw vegetables:
Hermit crabs are omnivores and will eat almost anything they can find, including raw vegetables and fruits. However, eating raw vegetables can cause intestinal blockage and lead to death.
Excessive salt:
A hermit crab’s natural diet is naturally high in sodium chloride (seawater). The excess salt that hermit crabs consume in captivity leads to dehydration and death by starvation or kidney failure.
Excessive sugar:
Hermit crabs are omnivores; they will eat almost anything they find or can scavenge. However, excessive sugar can lead to obesity and diabetes, which are very serious health problems.
Excessive protein:
Hermit crabs eat a wide variety of foods in the wild and can eat their body weight in meat in a short period of time. However, more than 10% of their body weight should be protein; otherwise, it will be converted into fat by the digestive system. Excessive protein also leads to dehydration and kidney failure due to renal hypertrophy (enlargement).
Excessive fats:
Hermit crabs are omnivores that will eat almost anything they find or can scavenge. Fats have no nutritional value for hermit crabs; they are only metabolized as energy by the crab’s body and can lead to obesity and eventual death from starvation or kidney failure if fed too much fat (more than 20% of their body weight).
Recommended Foods For Hermit Crabs
- In the wild, lichens (moss) are a great source of protein for hermit crabs. They can be purchased at pet stores and are usually sold in small bags or jars. Lichen is usually found growing on trees, bushes, rocks, and other vegetation in the wild. It is a great source of protein for hermit crabs and should be fed to them when it is available.
- Crustaceans such as krill, brine shrimp, and other small crustaceans can be fed to hermit crabs but should be avoided if possible because they are high in fat content and can lead to fatal diseases if not properly cared for by the owner.
- In the wild, fruit is a staple food item for many different species of animals including hermit crabs. Crab apples are an excellent food that provides both carbohydrates and protein to your crab’s diet while also providing some vitamin C as well. To feed your crab fruit, simply cut the fruit into small pieces and place them in a dish with some moistened moss or a small amount of moistened earth to help keep them from drying out. Fruit should be fed as often as possible, but not more than once every two or three days. Fruit can be stored in the fridge for several days if necessary.
- In the wild, insects are an important part of many animals’ diets. Crabs will eat just about anything they can find, including insects. Insects can be purchased at pet stores and are usually sold in small bags or jars (although a lot of them are sold loose). Crabs will eat anything that they could get their claws on, so it’s best to feed crickets and other insects that they cannot easily escape from by hand. Crickets should be fed twice per day: once at night when they are active and again before morning when they are most active (which is usually around 7 am). Once you are usually sold in small jars, which can be kept in the fridge until they are needed. Crabs will eat just about anything they can find, including insects.
Tips For Helping Your Hermit Crab Find Food
- Place food items in an area where your crab can access them easily.
- Hermit crabs are very active and will make a beeline for the food they want. Avoid putting the food in a spot where it’s out of sight and out of reach.
- If you don’t want your hermit crab to eat something, remove it from the cage.
- Hermit crabs will often eat things that they shouldn’t, including plastic wrap or other household items that we think are safe to put in with them but can be toxic to them (such as bleach).
Conclusion
Hermit crabs love to eat, and they’ll eat almost anything they can get their claws on. Ideally, they should be fed fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as some insects and a small amount of fish. They should also have access to clean water at all times. Hermit crabs love variety, and they’ll get sick quickly if they eat the same thing all the time. Your hermit crabs will likely eat anything you offer them, but it’s best to offer a wide variety of foods.
