offminded

How long do hermit crabs live? The guy at my LFS told me that they don't live too long...any truth to that?

Lucy

I only have land crabs and some have lived for years.

Mike

I have a couple red-legged hermit crabs going on 2+ years in my tank, plus however old they were when purchased... I think the terrestial hermits generally live longer, but not sure on that.

Narcicius

depends on what you consider to be a long time really, and the guy at the store probably references his life span estimation to the ones in the store where they might not be cared for to well.

Drea

Amen to that...I rescued so many hermits from LFS & Walmart, it wasn't even funny. Once I went to the LFS and a hermie was out of shell, missing legs, and I said the the clerk "aren't you going to help this little guy?" I made them take him out, put him in my hand, I went to the sink and gave him a little water. He crawled back in his shell. I told the owner, I'm taking this baby home right now. She wouldn't let me have him for free, so I paid what she wanted. We QT's him in a small tank, I fed him by hand for several days, then he died...but not by being cannabalized, or slow suffocation. I won't even go into how many I found dead in their "habitat" at various Walmarts!
Hermies are not easy pets to care for..when done properly.

Narcicius

Sad story but perpetually true. I wish Wally World and other pet stores would hire people who are qualified to care for the lives of other creatures, not to mention people who care.