Commercial and Home-Made Meals for Pet Land Hermit Crabs - By: Allan Michael Taylor

What do hermit crabs eat is a popular question among interested pet lovers. They are usually found in the wild, and people are not so sure what to feed them. Worry not because there are commercial diets available in the market. They are specifically formulated to satisfy the nutrient needs of pet land hermit crabs.

Many animal-med companies have formed their own well-balanced recipe. There are pelleted and canned types to choose from. The ingredients are tempting, even to the pickiest crawler. However, the pellets must be crushed for smaller crabs. Also, leftovers must be removed and cleaned everyday to avoid pet poisoning.

Though ready-made feeds are convenient for feeding your pet land hermit crabs, they are not your only option. In fact, you can feed them with almost anything. Hermit crabs are natural scavengers, which enjoy majority of edible organic material. You may feed them with washed bark and leaves of oak. They are even observed to eat fecal matter in the wild.

However, you cannot just feed them with barks and oak leaves everyday. Food variety is important for keeping them healthy. They require nutrients like carotene, tannin and calcium. The best part is you can satisfy these requirements with cheap kitchen leftovers.

The condition of hermit crab shells is an indicator of their health. Healthy shells have a good shade of red or orange. If the crabs lack nutrients, they will lose the color after molting. They will end up as grayish, pebble-looking creatures. Kitchen leftovers are rich in nutrients that can prevent this malnutrition.

You can grind dried bones of pork, meat and fish. They are good sources of calcium for keeping their shells thick and though. You can also give them shreds of corn and carrots. These are rich in carotene, which will help retaining their red color. Green leafy vegetables like cabbage and broccoli will provide them with antioxidants. This will help them resist diseases and infections that may shorten their lives.

It is not true that hermit crabs possess a dull sense of taste. In fact, they enjoy sweet and sour foods. They like sweet potatoes, young corn and carrots, guavas, mangoes and bananas. They also enjoy citruses like lemons and oranges. You can prepare treats for them by mashing two or more of these ingredients together. In fact, sweet and juicy fruits can attract them out of their shells. With these kinds of foods, you can actually feed the shy crabs with your own fingers.

One important reminder is to wash their food before feeding. Make sure that the fruit or vegetable is free from pesticides. Also, do not use soap in washing their food because alkaline may poison the crabs. Their drinking water should also be free from soap, acidic substances and chlorine. It is advised to serve them with purified or distilled water. You can also give them tap water as long as you use water conditioners. This product is readily available in the market. A few drops on a gallon can neutralize the chlorine content and the water's hardness.

About the Author

Hi, I'm Steven Black, and my best friend was my Hermit crab. Hermit crabs have certain needs, like creating a home, type of food, why they need shells, and more depending on the type of crab you have. More info about hermit crabs.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Allan-Michael-Taylor/45501

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