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The Crab Street Journal
The Crab Street Journal

Where hermit crab addicts go!

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Say NO to Painted Shells

Say NO to painted shells

Painted shells are toxic, unnecessary, and destroy a much needed natural resource. Please speak out about this to your local pet shops who continue to order hermit crabs in painted shells just so they can charge more for them.

Hermit crabs are forced out of their natural shell. One method can be seen in the video below, the crabs are placed in a vice and their natural shell is destroyed. Other methods include heating the shell so the crab abandons it, drilling a hole and poking the crab with a wire until it abandons the shell.

Hermit crabs are often forced into the shells while the paint is still wet. The paint could trap the crab when it dries.

Hermit crabs will not voluntarily pick painted shells. In all instances, some form abuse is used to get the crab into the painted shells. Painted shells exist solely to attract small children who will cry and moan until their parent gives in and buys the Spongebob shell. Hermit crabs are not good pets for small children but that is exactly who they are marketed to. If your child wants a cute shell, buy an empty one.

Hermit crabs pick at their shell to modify to fit better. They may ingest paint directly from the shell or as it flakes off into their food or water.

Gluing googly eyes and other junk to the shell throws off the balance of the shell making it difficult for the crab to walk or climb.

You can donate your painted shells to us for display at the exotic pet show web attend monthly. Use this form to get the mailing address and to let us know the shells are on their way.

How they are painted overseas:

Due to a lack of shells, some hermit crabs are forced to live in trash. Just one more reason we should all Say NO to Painted Shells.

Newspaper stuck inside a painted shell - Robin Bownman
Newspaper stuck inside a painted shell – Robin Bownman
90 minutes into freeing him
90 minutes into freeing him
hooray
hooray
Photo provided by Alyssa Kline
Photo provided by Alyssa Kline
The paint is inside the shell too
Painted shell by John Alpaugh
Look how much paint got inside and was peeling off
Ugly painted shells Photo by Stacy Griffith
Ugly painted shells Photo by Stacy Griffith
Paint is peeling. Painted shells are inhumane and unsafe.
Paint is peeling
Photo provided by Alyssa Kline
Photo provided by Alyssa Kline
Paint is smearing off
This is just as bad as a painted shell
Painted shell by John Alpaugh
So much of the paint is peeling off

Beautiful natural shells are the best option:

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Related

2015-04-19
In: Painted Shells
Tagged: bad, good, hermit crab care, natural, painted, shells
Previous Post: Stacy Griffith
Next Post: Cannibalism

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