Where Hermit Crabs Come From 

i had a hermit crab for 19 years and it is still alive

My sister had got us two hermit crabs with decorated shells, the first one had a spider man decorated shell and the next morning it came out of its shell and was laying there with a limb laying next to it. After watching this video I know have a understanding of what happened. This is very sad.

awww poor babies :( how can people be so careless

I thought that the crabs are born in captivity and given colored shells when young never knew it was this horrifying.

Animals have feelings too

you can own a crab, just have the right living space for them.

As someone who was once locked up myself, ..... well, I currently have 6crabs, oldest is almost 4years old. I built a habitat out of a 70 +/-gal. Shell of a built-in kitchen cabinet. They can climb all walls, ceiling ,vines.... plenty of places to hide , they can dig...... I take care of mine. This video is very enlightening. Sad, but enlightening. Thanks.

when I was little, me and my brother had 2 hermit crabs, one lived for 11 years and the other lived for 13 years

This is like you are wearing sweat pants and any thing comfortable then people put you in sandpaper shirts

#savehermitcrabs

wtf omg!!! how did I get here this is horrible!

My friend had hermit crabs and they lived for around 3 years- but they had really colorful shells, manufactured ones, and seeing what these people did to make them get those shells is heartbreaking.

I have 3 hermit crabs. This made me cry.. I want to help SOOO desperately

Every time I but a hermit crab, I get two. My mother has taught me to never just get one pet. It will get lonely and might kill itself in seek of a better life

Woah! I didn't even know!! One time my friend got a 5 hermit crabs from PetSmart, got them a HUGE tank, with water, sand, and everything they would have in the wild. One was killed by another one, but the rest lived for about 7 years.

That should be banned

This is sad and wrong humans can be so selfish and unaware sometimes:'(

When an issue is so bad it has me agreeing with PETA of all people, then you know it's bad.

I give my hermit crabs a good home with salt water, (I have 4) I always make sure they have a natural shell, give them varied choices of food, and have water 24/7 along with heat

the way he just sweeps it carelessly 💔

You say not to buy them from the cruel stores, but people who know how to care for them the correct way are actually saving them. I know a lot about hermit crabs, I did research for a week on how to properly care for one and I’m going to go save 3 of them tomorrow. Your encouraging people to let them die at those stores, when you could be saving them, heck even letting them go in the wild.

I bought a hermit crab from Petco his name is Dash he has a painted sale but I did not know that they did that in order to get them into the shells Two of his legs are missing and he was the smallest one in the cage crammed with about 20 other hermit crab I bought him because I suspected that he would grow which he did he still lives today but now that I’ve seen this I am so glad that I got him considering he was the smallest one and he could have easily died it in there with the other hermit crabs. He now lives in a 10-gallon tank with sand, 5-inch deep moist nutrient soil, a lava rock (which he loves to climb on) climbing sticks, a heating pad, salt and freshwater, and just for good measure hermit crab meal (powder that we home made full of nutrients and foods that are in a hermit crabs diet, 100% natural ingredients). We made a better life for him and even likes to crawl around on my hand and even on my dog’s back (she’s fine with it, and just sits there) I plan on getting him a little friend, as they’re very social animals. Please tell me if I’m doin for the right thing for him. I fully believe that I’ve made his life a much better experience.

When people buy them it helps save them from death its self they give them good homes forever each time someone buys a hermit crab it saves the life of that hermit crab or crabs

It wouldn’t be a problem to have them as pets if there was proper care here

I work at petsmart and we changed venders because of animal abuse

I bought a hermit crab from petsmart and i noticed they were in 5 gallon cages and there was nowhere to dig and they didnt even get water they got tap water. My crab is fine now, and the reason i got her is to have a good social life for my other crab. They got into anfight over a shell, and the smaller one died. She is fine now, but it is just cruel how people treat them. I even called petsmart about that.

I got my hermit crab from a well known and respected breeder, I looked around where he bread them and honestly it looked like a crab heaven, just don't buy hermit crabs from chains, not in general.

When I was younger I had a hermit crabs and we were really good to them a huge aquarium good humidity, substate the good sponges and the good natural shells. But one or the hermit crabs we had died of an illness he wouldn’t eat or drink. We asked a vet but the vets don’t know a lot about hermit crabs and they just told us to add more fresh foods like veggies and fruits. He died really soon. Then the other hermit crab I had got depressed and sad. I didn’t want to get another crab so I was a good owner and did the right thing (it was so hard but I knew I couldn’t give him the best life he could have) so I gave him up. I still miss him but he moved with at least 7 other crabs in a big tank so I knew he was happier.

I bought a hermit crab in Florida because it was being do mistreated no water food ect. I was going to release it into the ocean and then as Soon as we buy it the lady says ONLY FRESH WATER. NO SALT WATER. so I had to take it home and get everything it needed super fast sand food shells and the day before leaving Florida we bought it a friend

I bought 2 hermit crabs and got them fresh and salt water and eco earth dirt,a ten gallon tank,natural shells (they also already have natural shells,and more!

OMG this is so sad! my family always goes to OC maryland every summer, and on the board walk i see huge cages of hermit crabs crammed in. Theyre all in painted shells, but i had no idea that they forced them into the shells. I usually get one, and they come with those tiny critter carriers that i know are much to small, so i only use those for getting them home to a better cage. I have a friend who got one from the boardwalk too, and it was so injured it was almost dead. thankfully, she helped it and it lived for eight years. RIP CLOVER!

If I could save all the hermit crabs I would. I absolutely would 😢😢😢🦀❤️

I was just watching cat videos, man...

I just bought one and it’s perfect in its OWN home it lives by its self and is happy :D

I have a hermit crab and I found him on the beach being eaten my birds, I showed him to my mom and said look! And she said I could keep him❤️ His name is peanut and he’s right beside me

I had no idea they take them from the wild and crack their shells. I love crabs so much and this is so disturbing.

What the fuck?? Painted shells don't even look that good

I wish I could save them all😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔

Oh my goodness! My poor babys have been through all this!😢... mine are in a 30 gallon long. Proper care...

Thank you PETA for educating people (including myself) on the treatment of all animals around the world! We don't often times think about small animals such as hermit crabs when we think of animal cruelty.

When I was in 3rd grade we got 2 hermit crabs as class pets at the beginning of the school year. One lasted just 1 month and the other lasted 3 months. My teacher said that they were supposed to last the entire year but she was wrong. 😓😪

I can't believe what my hermit crab went through before I got him

THIS IS TERRIBLE! HOW COULD PEOPLE BE SO HEARTLESS????!

THERE CRABS

If I got a hermit crab, I would give it the best terrarium I could get.

How can 55 people dislike this video?!?!?Heartless!!!

THIS IS SO INHUMANE!!! #savethehermitcrabs

Awww they're so cute

We got our hermit crab from a small shack in Maryland and my hermit crab has lived for 4 years

I have a hermit crab of my own but I would never treat it like that

Wait so they cracked their original shells and then make them choose one of the painted shells...? Wouldn't it be more cost efficient to just paint the shells?

hermit crabs are my favourite animals ;_;

I bought 20, and i immediately went to the closest beach to let them free

I have a hermit crab and it has lived four a year and still alive

Ive had 3 of them for 5 years. I researched them and took care if them from when I was 12. Im 17 now and they are still with me. I live far inland. Do you suppose I get rid of them some how?

NEVER, and I mean NEVER trust pet co, I would get an animal there to help it from that horrid place

Wow I thought I was a terrible hermit crab owner having just two crabs in a ten gallon tank. Although I thought it was okay to supply them with 3 shells each to the next size, good humidity and 6 in of moist dirt. But compared to these idiots who torture inicent hermit crabs for a small amount of money my crabs are spoiled. I DISPISE these stupid jerks! I wish they would come to their senses and think, getting a tiny amount of money for animal abuse is rediculous and cruel. When I first got my hermit crabs they were stuffed into tiny painted shells and one was almost dead. I'm am so glad I got to save that crab but the other thousands out there being ripped apart limb by limb need help. Thank you for sharing this video. Now we can spread awearnes to others.😖

I have 4 crabs and this made me feel bad

i thought they painted the shells that the crab had on to begin with? also when i had a hermit crab it shed its shell a lot looking for a bigger one and we would just buy more of the shells but larger and it would move to that one?

poor things

So sad

They're so cute... aww 😰😰😪 I had a hermit crab....he had a painted shell

we found sick 3 sick ones on the beach, they are 3 yrs old now and doing much better now

holy shit I'm going to find that place and scream the peoples ears off for taking care of their hermit crabs that way I love crabs any type of crab I love

I found a hermit crab on the beach so I got my fish bucket and put sand and water in it then i put the crab in it now I have a pet crab named Hermint

I had 3, crazy, lazy and Joe. lazy and crazy hated one another so I put one in another tank and the other with crazy. i got crazy from myrtle beach, s.c. and brought him all the way to illinois. i seriously loved that crab he live for a little over 3 years then passed away. i got the other two from some pet store in gurnee (which is closed now), they lived for a couple months and got sick...:( i now have an adult euro box turtle, a adult leopard gecko and a chihuahua :)) no more crabs for me! :(

aww man... that's why my hermit crabs kept dying... tap water... if I had know that sooner, I would've gotten some different water! thanks! I'll make sure not to use tap water. Did you know that most of the paint put on those shells is toxic for hermit crabs? so sad...

My friend and her 2 sisters had 3 hermit. Crabs they all survived for 3 years

omg that is so cruel

im going to buy hermit crabs just to release them back into the ocean and i might give one a paradise home

Now I feel bad for my hermit crabs

ii had a hermit crab for 7 years and it drank tap water just fine and no i didnt keep it in a little tank it had a 50 gal aguarium that it shared with 4 other crabs

I'll buy all the hermit crabs and say secretly to slef "okay guys ur free now don't tell anyone

nah ill keep 20 hermit crabs in my 2 gallon tank, no filter with rice for food

I rescued my hermit crabs from a boat ramp in Florida there was an giant oil spill

I didn’t even know hermit crab pets were a thing.

I had two hermit crabs, I took care of them but I just couldn't take care of them anymore, I had too many pets so I sold them. One of them (sky) who was much smaller than my other one (Pablo) we had a big cage, it always felt wrong keeping them in there because they weren't happy. The small one stopped coming out of the little house thing petco recommended to us. We sold them to a family when we found out 3 days later the small one had died. I never knew why it was small and wouldn't eat, why it wouldn't come out, not even at night. Now I blame Petco because sky wasn't taken care of there.

im so confused, people r saying don't buy hermit crabs bc theyre sad and bla bla bla etc. but what if i buy it for it to have better life rather then to stay in the pet store and die alone???

I'm allergic to hermit crabs and watching this hurts me..

i bought a hermit crab but i have 5 sooo mine isn’t alone

The worl we used to know is gone help us cough cough PETA and save abused animals.

I got hermits crabs in Australia from the shops they have their natural shell on I give them a big enclosure

I'm scared of hermit crabs and I still feel bad for them..

ill buy all of them and go to the beach and give them the home they need

I remember building little "crab inns" at the beach... For goodness sake; just go to the beach and play with them! In Maine, they don't really mind. They'll go into your hand and look at you like "what's up my dude"

I used to have a hermit crab I gave it dirt to dig in water and food but it came out of its shell and died even though I had one in there

I saw a hermit crab in petco when I was getting stuff for my dog and the crab had painted shells

I adopted one and am taking great care of her

Wow this is actually really messed up.. I never owned a hermit crab before because i felt sorry for them because they are in a very small box but wow.. I didn't know it was like this and i did know the shell was plastic because of how it looks, if you are reading this comment I hope you feel the same way

I didn't even know u could buy hermit crabs

holy fucking lord. i’ve found a new phobia

Guess what I got a hermit crab took care of it and *in captivity* it lived to be 5 years

My crabs are doing good I have had it for 4months but I give then everything they need

The longest I have ever to keep one as a pet was for about 4 years. Never buy a painted shell hermit crab. I bought mine from PetSmart, but never a painted shell. Hermit crabs can pick at the shell and injest the toxic paint

I want to buy a hermit crab to rescue them and have a big home for them in my house, so then I can nurse them back to health but they belong in the wild and I don't want my money to go to that corporation.

Ok, now this is epic

NOT THE HERMIT CRABS. ANYTHING BUT THE HERMIT CRABS

I adopted my hermies, it is sad how pet shop suppliers abuse the poor crabs. Many people Acctually impulse buy crabs from the pet stores but don't realize the special care that they need. You can just go to the pet store, buy a hermit crab condo, but some sand in, soak a sea sponge on water then add it to the condo and slap a crab in there. They need at least a 20 gallon with 2 different water bowls, one containing saltwater and dechlorinated fresh water. A variety of different fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins for food. With 6 in of substrate for a proper molt. If you do plan on getting hermies, adopt since these stores are A W E F U L

I didn't know,I have 4 hermit crabs,so glad I live near a beach.

I bought two hermit crabs then let them both go on the beach