Holiday Foods You Can Safely Feed to Your Hermit Crabs
Many hermit crab owners love including their pets in holiday traditions — and it’s tempting to share a bit of your Thanksgiving feast! While some festive foods are perfectly safe (and even healthy) for hermit crabs, others can be dangerous. Here’s a list of holiday favorites you can offer your crabs — and what to avoid — so they can safely celebrate with you.
Turkey (chicken, quail duck) – all parts, raw or cooked.*
Turkey bones (Crack them open so they can get at the marrow).
Save the neck and giblet bag for the crabs!
- Potatoes – any type, raw or cooked.
- No eyes or green parts of the peel.
- Veggies raw or cooked (no onions or garlic).
- Dark leafy greens must be cooked first to reduce oxalic acid content.
- Corn on the cob is always a huge hit
- Nuts ground, whole, chunks.
- Eggs – all parts, raw or cooked.
- Fruits
- Sour fruit will not be eaten (for example: they will not eat lemon)
- Oils – pure and cold pressed are best
- Herbs -check the food database for a full list of what spices are safe or unsafe
- *No Rosemary/evergreen family. If you brine or injected with rosemary or rosemary oils, compound butters etc. could have absorbed to bones which is not a good idea and crabs may be repelled.
Ham contains too much added salt to be fed safely.
Remember you can freeze the leftovers too or dehydrate for later. If they do not like it one way they may like it another: dehydrated, re-hydrated, ground, whole, sliced, fresh, thawed later, softened, chunks etc.
REMEMBER NO SEASONINGS OR ADDED SUGAR– Check those labels!
What’s for dinner? A hermit crab food guide!
