All My Shelldren-Hermit Crab Advocate

09/02/2026

A face only a mother could love🥰

08/14/2026

Carl.

08/14/2026

The crab that started it all. Carl. 😂❤️🐚 Carl is also the biggest bully and the only Ecuadorian crab in the bunch….which means he’s more high maintenance, a diva and thinks he runs the place (he kind of does!). We love Carl! 😂❤️🐚

07/31/2026

My new favorite piece of art from the best 4 year old neighbor, Riggs! ❤️🥰🐚

07/08/2026

It’s been a sad couple of weeks over here! I was contacted to rescue a hermie that was discovered in an abandoned tank that was being sold. When the owner started to clean out the tank, they discovered the crab deep in a molt and not knowing anything about hermit crabs, did they best they could by putting it in another tank with as best of a setup they could.

When a hermit crab is molting, they are in their most vulnerable state. Their bodies become very soft, almost rubbery while they shed their exoskeleton. A common misconception is that they shed their shell, but that’s not accurate. Their shell goes down with them, they shed their exoskeleton and eat it during the molt for nutrients and once they are stronger and more stable they come back up and typically that is when they change their shell. Think of how as kids we grow while we are sleeping and then eventually we need new pants because we’ve outgrown our original pants….same concept!

“Dirt” (blame my daughter for this name, not me 😂) didn’t stand a chance because he was unintentionally dug up during a molt and then forced to try to finish his molt on the surface. No, you cannot just dig another hole and put them in it as hermies create tunnels to get to and from their molt and creating just a hole would put them in danger.

We tried our best to save him, but he was dug up at such a vulnerable point in his molt that his body couldn’t recover.

He was buried next to sweet Skully.

I share these sad stories to show how delicate these creatures lives are and how these are in absolutely no way beginner pets. The person who surrendered him did their best and this was not their fault because they had no idea he was in there or any knowledge about hermit crabs i general. They wanted the best for him.

The good news is, one of the rescues from the beach (Coco) came back up from his molt and is doing well.❤️🐚

06/29/2026

Up until today, I haven’t had a hermie pass away in my care. When I offered to take the barely hanging on crabs from the beach shop, I KNEW there was a good chance they wouldn’t make it. 1 of the 3 who survived is molting, the other is living his best life and eating his gourmet Etsy meals like a king (shout out Hermit Crab Nerd Crabcuisineco!), but sadly, little Skully was just too far gone to recover. He died surrounded by warmth, love and cozied up in a coconut shell. But he also died unnecessarily…in a painted shell, malnourished and mistreated thanks to the pet trade industry and being kidnapped from his native home. I hope he was able to relax in his last few weeks of life. This is the reality of the cruel hermit crab trade and my little empath heart can barely take it! 💔🐚

06/18/2026

The Outer Banks hits a lot different when you’re fully aware of the cruelty happening at almost every single beach shop. By purchasing these exotic creatures, we are only perpetuating the inhumane and unethical poaching of hermit crabs from the wild so they can be “souvenirs.” I won’t lie, it’s incredibly difficult for me to not want to take them all home. I went to one shop and kindly asked the manager if she would consider adding at least sand to their enclosure and I was met with “do you know what that would mean for my business!?” Insinuating that by allowing the crabs to molt would reduce her profit because they wouldn’t be visible. 😤This is abuse. She also said she wouldn’t be able to contain the smell….

Fun fact: Hermit crabs don’t smell. Their enclosure smells like literal sand when properly established. Wanna know when they do smell? When they’re dead. So what she is referring to is the dead crabs smelling which means she keeps dead crabs in her enclosure (if you even want to call it that).

I went to another shop and educated the manger and she was lovely and she agreed to hand over (I did not pay) 4 hermies that were in terrible shape. She didn’t know anything about them but said “they seems so sad and they never eat.” I gave her some information and she said “take the 4 that are in the worst shape and please help them.” 😩 I had a tank in my car jusssst in case my empathetic heart overtook my rationale (it happens!😂🥴) and one died almost immediately. The other three are doing ok. 2 of them are teetering on death.

We buried “Piggy” deep in the sand and told him we loved him. 🌊

I’m hoping to rehabilitate the 3 remaining babies and place them up for adoption eventually.

📸: Heavenly Hermit co

06/05/2026

On the 2nd to last day of school I had the privilege of speaking to my daughter’s elementary school about hermit crabs! I spoke to SIX GRADES for a half an hour each and I was amazed at how curious, compassionate and attentive they were (especially on the brink of summer break! 😂). My goal was to educate and advocate for my hermie friends and to discourage these kiddos from buying a hermit crab as a “souvenir!” Literally, one of my sides said “buy a sweatshirt instead!”😂 In each class, at least one teacher and/or student had their own hermit crab story and I left sharing my info so I could help if they need it. What an honor it was.❤️🐚

📸: me presenting and some of my slides…I haven’t made a PP presentation/google slide since the dawn of time so I did my best!😂

05/08/2026

Just gabbin😂

05/08/2026

Fun fact Friday! Did you know that hermit crabs molt!? Ehhh what is molting, you ask!? Molting is a process in which they bury themselves under the substrate for a few weeks sometimes up to a year….during which time you have pet sand.😂 this is why it is incredibly important to have the appropriate amount of substrate. Not enough depth to dig = no molting or surface molting which are both 🚫 and could lead to ☠️. 😩

But why!? Molting allows the hermit crabs to shed their exoskeleton in order to grow. Their exoskeleton is NOT their shell annnnnd they eat it once they shed it for the nutrients. Yummm 😂The molting process is an incredibly vulnerable time for a hermit crab and they are still vulnerable once they come back up from a molt.

It’s ridiculous to see my reaction each time one of mine comes back up …the relief! 😅

You can learn more about the molting process here:

Learn how hermit crabs molt, why they bury underground, how long molting takes, and what keepers should expect before, during, and after the molt.