Gladys's Big Adventure / Hermit Crab Crisis!

Gladys contines her trend of being my most active hermit crab. She climbs on everything in the cage (I'm glad someone is climbing, since I bothered to put all those neat jungle gym things in there for them to climb).

She even hides out in other, bigger shells. (Ziggy and Rocko have both been eyeing that white shell for a while, but they may have to sacrifice it so Gladys can play inside it.)

All that activity makes for some good photo ops, especially in a really natural setting like on the carpet.






So last night I took Gladys out of the aquarium to let her run around for a little bit (Ziggy and Rocko were cuddling in the Cocohut). As I was carrying her (about chest height), she jumped out of her shell onto the floor! I freaked out because (A) what was I supposed to do now?, and (B) A fall from that high is dangerous with a shell on, let alone without one! Fortunately, Hermit-Crabs.com had some good information under their FAQ page. I put the shell-less Gladys into a piece of tupperware with fairly high walls, along with some sand and a wet* paper towel. I rinsed* her old shell and another one and put them both in the tupperware with her, and finally she crawled over to the new shell and climbed inside it.
(* Every time I refer to water and hermit crabs, assume it's dechlorinated unless I say otherwise.)

I can't believe she chose this one - it's huge on her! But there are other ones in the main tank, so maybe she'll change again now that she's back in there.

Now her green shell makes her look like a smaller version of Ziggy Stardust, but she doesn't seem to mind. Nor does she seem to mind being in such a big shell. This morning she was at her usual spot at the top of the aquarium. I just hope she's okay after that fall.

And that is the story of my (stressful) first shell change.