One of my friends has snakes, and he decided to buy a hermit crab and put it together in one habitat. However, my friend is a beginner when it comes to snakes and has no idea if it would be possible for a hermit crab to live with a snake. That is why I decided to research it and share it with the world.
So, can hermit crabs and snakes live together? Hermit crabs and snakes are both adorable pets. However, they cannot stay together because it will be dangerous for both of them. Hermit crab might tear the snake’s skin, and the snake might eat the hermit crab.
Even though the main reason why hermit crabs and snakes cannot live together is that they can cause pain to each other, there are other reasons why hermit crabs and snakes cannot live together, like the difference in habitat, needs, and instincts.
Differences Between Hermit Crabs And Snakes
Hermit Crabs
Hermit crabs are great pets compared to snakes. Why? Because hermit crabs are friendlier than snakes! Hermit crabs are very shy and will spend most of their time hiding or sleeping. Hermit crabs are not mean. However, if you threaten them, they can be mean.
Most of the hermit crabs live in tropical areas of the Indo-Pacific region, the western Atlantic, and the western Caribbean. Hermit crabs live close to the shoreline so that they have access to both land and water.
Snakes
Snakes are vicious and violent animals that can kill prey in a split second. They will even attack their owners if provoked. Snakes are not like dogs or cats that you can play with, but rather they are calm and can be your quiet companion.
Snakes live in a warm climate. They live in forests, deserts, swamps, and grasslands. Some snakes also love to live near water habitats, but their water temperature must be set to a certain setting. If not, the quality of life of snakes tends to lessen.
Snakes can grow enormously! That is why they are very dangerous for smaller prey like hermit crabs. They are deadly and violent animals that will eat anything that they find as a yummy treat!
Both species can be interesting, and both have unique personalities. However, they still cannot live together because their habitat and diet are diverged.
The Diet Of A Snake Won’t Work If Kept With Hermit Crabs
Snakes are violent animals. They can fit anything inside their mouth. Whether it is a buffalo that is much larger than them, a tennis ball, or even a human being. However, the usual food snakes eat is rats or mice.
Owners usually feed their snakes live mice. However, scientists have discovered that it is better to feed snakes dead prey instead of alive prey. The reason why is because the alive prey can fight back, and it may hurt your snake. You can kill a mice and not cut it into pieces since snakes can swallow it wholly.
You have to make sure that the food you give to your snakes is not bigger than them. The food you give them should be smaller than them so that your snake can digest it smoothly. The amount and size of food your snake needs depend on your snake’s size, age, and species.
Some species of snakes don’t usually eat larger prey than them. The best way to know what food you should give your pet snake is to speak to your local veterinarian. It will be easier for you to identify what kind of food you should give to your pet snake since vets are more expert than you.
Snakes don’t eat often. They might eat once or twice a week and even once every two weeks. If the snake is younger and smaller, they might eat more times in a week. But if the snake is enormous and adult already, it may not eat for weeks.
Snakes also don’t need to drink too much water as much as they need to eat food. But it is essential to keep a bowl of water inside your snake’s tank so that they can soak in it and use it for the bathroom.
The Diet Of A Hermit Crab Is Different Than A Snake
Like snakes, the type of food you give to your pet hermit crab depends on its size. Hermit crabs are omnivorous scavengers that eat whatever they find.
However, you don’t want to feed your pet hermit crab a crap. You should give your hermit crab a natural and healthy food like fresh vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, and fruits to make it healthier and live longer. Avoid processed foods and focus on natural foods.
The fruits you should give to your hermit crab are:
- Mango
- Papaya
- Coconut
- Apple
- Banana
- Grapes
- Pineapple
- Strawberry
- Melon
- Raisins
Like snakes, you don’t have to cut the food you give into your hermit crab. They can cut up the food into bite-sized pieces by themselves. Like I have said, hermit crabs are omnivorous animals, which means they can also eat meat.
You can give your hermit crab fresh fish, meat, and chicken. However, you must make sure that there is no butter or any other sauce on the food because it is not healthy for your pet hermit crab.
Hermit crabs can also eat a snake’s skin. That is why it is a bad idea to keep them in both cages. Your hermit crab may tear the skin of your snake, which can cause pain for your snake.
Hermit crabs need access to both saltwater and freshwater. They need fresh water for drinking. However, some hermit crabs might drink saltwater too and use it for bathing as well.
Two water bowls should be inside your hermit crab’s habitat all the time, one for freshwater and one for saltwater. The freshwater you give to your hermit crab should have no chlorine because it is harmful to them.
The Habitat Of A Snake Is Different Than A Hermit Crab Habitat
The size of terrarium you need for your snake and hermit crab depends on their size. Smaller snakes only need a fair reasonable-sized terrarium. However, if a snake is longer than 30 feet, you need to buy a customized cage. The habitat of your snake must set to a certain temperature so that they can stay warm.
You can also build on your own the cage of your snake. You need plywood and melamine for the cage. Also, you need a lid to prevent your snake from escaping. The habitat of snakes is simpler compared to the habitat of hermit crabs.
A glass aquarium or terrarium with a screened lid is the best home for your pet hermit crab, the bigger the tank, the more hermit crabs you can put inside. I will suggest to you to get the bigger tank so that your hermit crab may have more space to move and explore.
Hermit crabs also need a warm and humid habitat to stay healthy. The water you will put inside their cage will be the one to supply humidity. The ideal temperature of the terrarium should be around 75 to 85 degrees. Never expose your hermit crab to a place with extreme heat or cold.
Of course, you also need sand for your hermit crab. There are different hermit crab substrates available from pet stores. Depending on the size of your hermit crab, the bedding may need to be quite deep. You want enough substrate inside the cage of your crabs to allow your crabs to dig a burrow.
When you compare the habitat of snakes and hermit crabs, the habitat for hermit crabs is much complicated. There should be water and substrate inside the hermit crab’s cage, while in the snake’s cage, the only thing you need is sand or grass. The similar requirements their habitat should have is the heat and humidity.
Do snakes eat hermit crabs? Yes! However, not all snake species can eat a hermit crab. There are only certain species of snakes that can tear apart their prey which allows them to eat crabs that are huge to swallow a whole.
Can hermit crabs and shrimp live together? Yes! It should be ok for your shrimp to live with your hermit crab since shrimp are bigger than hermit crab. Also, shrimp are faster than crabs, so they can get away effortlessly when one of your crabs tries to chase it.
Final Words
In conclusion, snakes and hermit crabs cannot live together because they have different needs and habitats. Also, it will be dangerous for both of them to live together because they might hurt each other.
Hermit crabs may tear the skin of snakes, and snakes might eat hermit crabs wholly. If you want to take care of both species, you need a separate cage for them.
Source: thesprucepets.com, pethermitcrabs.org
