Post by jeremyh81 on Nov 1, 2009 11:09:13 GMT -6
Another popular crab to keep as pets are fiddler crabs. Here's a picture of a male fiddler:
Image by Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina
Fiddler crabs require a habitat similar to hermit crabs, but are mostly found near brackish water. I actually found about 100 on the Mobile Bay coast near Historic Fort Morgan while on business in Gulf Shores.
The picture above is that of a male fiddler, which has the notable large, violin-shaped claw. The male will wave its large pincer in a circular motion in the air to woo a female during mating season. Males also use the claw to protect their "faces" from predators. Females can be sexed easily because they only have 2 small pincers.
Although fiddler crabs can be found in some aquatic pet stores fully submerged, they actually prefer land. When I was observing the fiddlers at Mobile Bay, I found that they will come out of the water in the afternoon to early evening hours and burrow into the sand no more than 10 feet from the shoreline.
So it goes without saying that anyone considering keeping fiddler crabs should have a half brackish/half sand habitat. The exact proportion to me is unknown, but the Internet offers a wealth of knowledge about these crustaceans.
Image by Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina
Fiddler crabs require a habitat similar to hermit crabs, but are mostly found near brackish water. I actually found about 100 on the Mobile Bay coast near Historic Fort Morgan while on business in Gulf Shores.
The picture above is that of a male fiddler, which has the notable large, violin-shaped claw. The male will wave its large pincer in a circular motion in the air to woo a female during mating season. Males also use the claw to protect their "faces" from predators. Females can be sexed easily because they only have 2 small pincers.
Although fiddler crabs can be found in some aquatic pet stores fully submerged, they actually prefer land. When I was observing the fiddlers at Mobile Bay, I found that they will come out of the water in the afternoon to early evening hours and burrow into the sand no more than 10 feet from the shoreline.
So it goes without saying that anyone considering keeping fiddler crabs should have a half brackish/half sand habitat. The exact proportion to me is unknown, but the Internet offers a wealth of knowledge about these crustaceans.
