How did the “Halloween Moon Crab” come to be known?

Do you know what a Halloween Moon Crab is? Nowadays, people want something new, and the classic home with a dog or a cat is not enough. Recently, we found out the news about an unimaginable appearance, that of a strange-looking crab. The latter presents a colorful body and also a tiny face that makes it distinct from others. In the following article, not only we are going to introduce you to the Halloween Moon Crab and its history, but we are also gonna talk about its favorite food, how to feed them, and most importantly, how to pet them. That way, you will know everything you need to know in order to provide a wonderful life to your very own Halloween Moon Crab.

What is a Halloween Moon Crab?

A Halloween Moon Crab (also known as the Halloween Hermit Crab) is a colorful crab that started gaining in popularity in the last few years. They can be found in mangrove sand and rain forests along the Pacific coast from Mexico to Peru and Costa Rica. As for their dimensions, they are 2 to 2.5 inches long. Unbelievably enough, this type of crab can live a fairly long life, sometimes up to 10 years! In the wild, they commonly dig many holes during nighttime. They generally live in the forest for the whole of their adult life, but they inevitably return to the ocean at one point or another.

The most surprising fact about the Halloween Moon Crab is its ability to be comfortable while being captive. Indeed, these crabs can live perfectly alone in a cage for a very long time. Moon Crabs sleep during the day and come out at night. This animal requires a lot of heat and moisture, as well as several shells surrounding its habitat. These cute little fellas are also known for being very social creatures by nature: they seem to live longer and healthier lives when accompanied by crabs of the same species. That said, please note that the Halloween Moon Crab loves to fight, and sometimes it can even lead to death. The best solution is to have them in a separated habitat.

Additionally, they are pretty tame but sometimes they require constant attention. It is said that crabs do not require any special treatment, just the following:

• Good food
• Good temperature
• Clean water
• Closed habitat

What do Halloween Moon Crabs eat?

Most crabs in the ocean search for food on the ground level, eating everything that has meat/proteins, including fish, worms, squids, starfish, snails, and even other crabs. Conversely, the Halloween Moon Crabs are mainly herbivorous. As weird as it sounds, they consume mainly leaf litter and seedlings.

Fruits can also be their favorite food like mangoes, papayas or coconuts, or any other fruits they could find in the wild. Vegetables are also sufficient as they provide proper nutrients. Meat is also a possibility, but it needs to be prepared appropriately, or else, it could put the Moon Crab’s life in danger.

How to take care of a Halloween Moon Crab?

There are many factors to take into consideration in order to extend a Halloween Moon Crab’s lifespan. Below, may you find all the information you will need about lighting, temperature, and molting:

Lighting

The most suitable lighting for crabs is a low light bulb as it will make the crab feel more comfortable and safe. Crabs are used to being at the bottom of the sea and like said earlier, the Halloween Moon Crab prefers to be active during nighttime.

Temperature

Do you need a heater for a Moon Crab? The short answer is yes, whether you use a heat lamp or heater under the water tank. The appropriate temperature to keep your Moon Crab alive and healthy is around 26-27 °C (80°-85 °F). It must never drop under 25 °C (75 °F) or raise above 30 °C (85 °F).

Molting

Molting is a process in which the animal (or insect) loses an old layer of skin to replace it with a new one. This phenomenon happens about once or twice a year, depending on the type of crab and its environment. It can take up to several days to complete. Molting can be noticed as soon as you see the shell colors changing and some white appearing around the eyes.

It is important to leave your crab in darkness during this process and not disturb the crab while it is hiding. We recommend you to be extremely careful when carrying your crab after the molting is completed, as the shell could be weak and fragile. Your little crustacean friend will later need a lot of calcium and other substances, which it can find by eating its old skin, so make sure you leave it untouched. If they don’t eat all of it within 2 days, we recommend you simply take the rest of the old skin out. You can also feed your crab with food supplements, which you can easily get from the pet store.

Finally, do not forget to give them lots of love and care! If you want to help your Halloween Moon Crab get familiar with humans, you need to spend as much time as possible playing with it. The best advice is to learn your crab’s behavior and give daily attention to its needs. Once you get used to your crab’s routine, you will see that it’s almost like taking care of a cat or a dog.