red leg hermit crabs

[jchase1970]

Ok the other night I had 2 crabs doing what I thought were fighting, 1 which is the biggest, bigger then a quarter and the other about the size of a dime. The big one had ahold of the small one and it is pulling it into the shell. I couldnt see if it was picking at it trying to eat it or what. So I was curious, I spit them up but the big one grabbed the little one was doing what I can best describe as WWF midget pounding. it's spinning the small one around pulling it into it's shell and stuff. The small one isn't trying to get away so I try spliting them up one more time and put a couple of inches between them. The little one goes to the big one and gets grabbed again. Ok, i'll let you guy do what ever you are doing.
Later they are gone and I dont see a empty shell so I think well that was odd. that was 2 days ago.
yesterday the big one is in this hole in this rock.

Today I notice it is in the same spot, I was curious again and thought maybe it was stuck because I did have a crab get stuck. So I pulled it out and put it in the sand about 10 inches away. It went right back to the same spot.
Is this mating or just odd behavior?
It was cool what ever it was. I have another hermit that does some crazy things too. He likes to walk around the edge of the tank holding his shell straight up like he walking on handstand. His shell balancing on the glass. He'll walk like that for 3 feet or so and he does it all the time. Odd little thing he is.
John

 

[ibanez]

Pretty normal behavior. They also bury themselves in the sand where not much is exposed when they molt. When they molt it looks like a dead hermit floating around without its shell but it isn't, it is just the shed.

 

[tang4me]

If you hadn't already add some larger empty shells for them. They will outrow their current shells an look for new homes. Mine move in and out of shells constantly until they find one they really like. Keeps they from fighting as well.