Australian Land Hermit Crabs as Pets
by Vanessa Pike-Russell

An introduction to the land hermit crab and the wonderful world of owning land hermit crabs as pets. Whether you are an owner or just curious about land hermit crabs, there is something to please everyone with full colour photos and interesting information. Biology, Care, Responsible Pet Ownership, Cleaning, Illness, Species, Glossary, Appendix.

Soft Cover, 84 pages, colour. July 2003 Copyright

$15 Australian / $10 USD

Topics include:

Biology:

What Are Hermit Crabs?
Classification
Anatomy
Environment
Lifecycle
Reproduction
Lifespan
Age
Sexing

Caring for your Hermit Crab:

Essential Items for Healthy Hermit Crabs
Humidity and Temperature
Housing options for land hermit crabitats
Substrate Type and Depth. Why does my Substrate stink
Heating Methods, Gauges and Safety Issues
Water Quality, Bathing and Misting
What Types of Food Can I Feed My Hermit Crab? Hand Feeding
The Importance of Calcium. Calcium Sources. Chitin
Wood Items

Responsible Pet Ownership:

Are You Ready To Care For A Land Hermit Crab?
Responsible Pet Ownership
Choosing a Pet Hermit Crab: Size, Aggression and Signs of Illness
What Size Should I Choose? How Many Should I Buy?
Seashells

Cleaning and Preparing Your Crabitat:

Preparing For Your New Pets.
Setting Up The Tank
Cleaning the Tank, Washing the Substrate and Preparing Items
Tank Items. Sponges. Plastic. Resin. Wood Items
Chemicals vs Natural Cleaners. Pests and Mites
The Trip Home and Settling In
Handling

Illness:

Stress
Moulting
Illness
Mites
Fungus
Out of Shell

Appendix:

Land Hermit Crab Species Around The World
Glossary
Checklist of Care
References, Credits and Websites