surface molt

Originally written by Marie Davis Updated by Stacy Griffith Is my hermit crab molting or dead? It is often extremely difficult to distinguish whether a hermit crab is indeed molting, or has passed over the Rainbow Bridge. This is due to how similar in appearance the two can be. In the early stages of the molt, the large cheliped (pincer) becomes somewhat paralyzed as it prepares to pull free of the old exoskeleton. The large shape of the claw must be pulled backwards through the smaller exoskeleton. The soft underlying tissue must be contracted to allow it to pass through the smaller parts of theRead More →