red hermit crabs eating snails

[Wisehart]

Has anyone had their hermit crabs kill off their snails? They are not killing and hosting the shells. They are just ganging up and killing them and moving on.

 

[Stephen davidson]

I have never noticed that my red legs are doing this, but I have seen my blue legs do this on a few different occasions. That's not to say that my red legs haven't done this, but I have not seen them do it.

 

[jay0705]

Yea its fairly normal. It tends to be for shells, but sometimes just an easy meal

 

[spanko]

IMO crabs are evil. Somewhat necessary but evil.

 

[2quills]

Potential future real estate.

And a juicy food source.

 

[Wisehart]

Well the bastards have ate 4 and 3 of which are margaritas

 

[pegasus]

Some people love escargot... hermits are no different.

 

[bang guy]

I agree with all of the above. Hermit Crabs are predatory omnivores with a fondness for fresh meat.

Typically though, snails can protect themselves for all but a gang of hermits. Were the snails weakened in any way? Perhaps osmotic shock from a rapid acclimation, copper from tap water, low alkalinity, overdose of Iodine, or starvation from a lack of Diatoms?