	AllExperts > Wildlife
	Search

About Silver
Expertise
Can answer On Subjects: Care of orphan / injured birds especially Starlings and House Sparrows/Finches. Care of most small seed, fruit and insect eating birds. Care of some reptiles. Non-Toxic species only. Specifically worked with constrictors (Rosy Boas) and common 'garden' snakes such as as rat and Gopher snakes, Florida Tortoises and Florida and mid-western US box turtles Cannot instruct individuals to care for themselves (long term): Federally protected species

Experience
Lifelong experience doing hands on and self-motivated research on animal care. Game and Wildlife specialist; State of Florida (certified)1980's-1990's Veterinary tech for a State University school of Veterinary Medicine 1980's-1900's Volunteer Wildlife Centers and Veterinary offices in emergency and orphaned baby bird care 2000-now

Organizations
Online organizations/group dedicated to wildlife care

Education/Credentials
College On the job certification and education (State University) Volunteer with large Audubon group for the rescue of tortoise habitat Life-long volunteer in wildlife care.

You are here: Experts > Science > Animals/Wildlife > Wildlife > What level of light do wild land hermit crabs like the most?

Wildlife - What level of light do wild land hermit crabs like the most?

Expert: Silver - 10/20/2009

Question
I am wondering, what level of light makes hermit crabs active in the wild? by level i mean Dim, Dark, ect. Thank you for your time.

Answer
I apologize for not answering you sooner... your question must have been buried under a ton of SPAM! Please forgive me?

Most 'experts would suggest dividing day and night into 12 hour shifts. From my perspective since 'natural' daylight is not always ON 12 hours and OFF 12 hours what I would do, not matter where you live is to emulate (copy) the light/dark hours depending on the time of year. There are a few things I would like to mention that a lot of sites often skip over.

First: Since they are basically nocturnal Daylight UV exposure is not as important as it would be with many diurnal animals. I would recommend a Night-Glo bulb as well...
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/night_glo.php

Second: Day light type bulbs that call themselves 'daylight' or 'natural' lighting are not always such. They look like natural light so as to bring out 'natural' colors... usually for in the home use like for room lighting. What you need is lights that provide UVa and UVb (do NOT look into or spend a great deal of time directly under the bulbs yourself...they are like tanning bed bulbs in a way...just weaker!).

An under the tank or possibly under the substrate (like sand) heaters one one side of the tank works far better than using light bulbs to heat a tank. Depending on just light is not always the best because in many tropical regions the large regions of sand or other substrate will hold heat long after dark and will take a while to heat up during the morning hours. They will also at times need to getaway from their heat source and using JUST an over head bulb does not allow for that need/choice. With regular bulbs always be aware of the heat the generate. Lighting the tank will probably cause you to see LESS of your crabs than no light at all.

If you go to a pet store, in the reptile or sometimes in the bird section they usually sell light bulbs that actually do provide what your crabs need...a balance of UVa and UVb! (such as ReptiSun but not limited to just that mfr.) Just like other living creatures I really believe this to be necessary in varying degrees for a long happy life.

If you do not have such a store there are many online stores who doplaces like Drs. Foster and Smith etc. has a variety of choices. If the crabs were wild caught they certainly were used to such lighting. Depending on how you have your crabs set up lighted, they can be bought as fluorescent (they last a fairly long time imo!) incandescent...like a regular light bulb...cheaper but they do not last very long, or in Compact Fluorescent type (the 'swirly' bulbs). The last ones seem to last a fairly long time, far longer than incandescent like you would use in a clip on type lamp and are fairly priced. Unless you have a HUGE tank you do not need the flood lamp style bulbs!!! Since they are primarily nocturnal if you want to provide a 'night light' that does not affect them but so that you can see them a dark 'glow bulb' can be used in the morning or evenings.

Now if you are like me and up when the sun comes up and to bed long after it sets you can get an idea of how long to leave them on. Daylight is shorter in the Winter, longer in the Summer. If not then 12/12 will work okay. I like the fluorescent bulbs (CF) the best because they throw very, very little heat and you can regulate how warm they are. It has very little effect as well of humidity levels which is also a point of concern. If you live as I did in Florida without air conditioning (what can I say.... I don't mind being warm as long as I have a a fan moving the air!) One thing have to say though is be very sure they have a place, just like in Nature, to get out of the sunlight. Having fun in the sun can be great but like us they can get roasted too! Too low heat can induce a false hibernation ow lower their resistance to disease as well.

If you buy a UV type light I would buy the 'Tropical' NOT a Desert bulbs because that probably comes closer to what they are used to. Some Hermit Crab 'experts' may differ with me a bit on that detail but, imo, better a too little (with nocturnal animals) than way too much.

I certainly hope I have been of help! If you have ANY follow up questions or information that you can lend so as to teach me I would be grateful!

Again I apologize for the delay... I certainly never take any wildlife/pet concern lightly whether it's a birds, tortoises or even an ant farm!

Good luck to you and your pet Hermit Crabs... I have always liked them and am sure you will too!

P.S. Always be sure to have extra shells in larger sizes available and try not to get pinched *Ouch*!!! lol

http://courses.ttu.edu/thomas/classpet/1999/hermitcrab/learn.htm
http://hermit-crabs.com/
http://hermit-crabs.com/night.html
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/night_glo.php
Silver

Add to this Answer Ask a Question