Do Hermit Crabs Hibernate, Brumate, Estivate or Go Dormant?
Many people wonder whether hermit crabs hibernate during the winter months, or if they remain active all year round. Usually this question comes up when hermit crab pet owners realize their pets have disappeared and it’s winter.
Do hermit crabs hibernate like a bear? Or do they brumate like a turtle?
Or do they go dormant only to reemerge when temperatures become warmer again?
In this article, we’ll explore the topic of hermit crab hibernation, including what it is actually going on, why it happens, and how to care for your hermit crab during this period.
Do hermit crabs hibernate? The correct answer: NO!
But they may seem like they are hibernating… and it could indicate problems. Read on!
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What's the difference between Hibernation, Brumation and Dormancy?
Hibernation
Hibernation is when particular warm-blooded animals, like bears, enter into a state of reduced metabolic activity when environmental conditions become too extreme.
Most often this refers to winter hibernation, but it can also apply to extreme heat and even times of severe food or water shortages.
During hibernation, an animal’s heart rate, breathing, and other bodily functions slow down significantly, allowing the animal to conserve energy and survive over a period of time as needed.
Hibernation does not apply to terrestrial hermit crabs.
Brumation
Brumation is when cold-blooded animals like turtles, frogs, snakes and other reptiles “hibernate” by going dormant, in order to conserve energy and ultimately be able to survive the extreme environmental conditions.
Brumation does not apply to terrestrial (land) hermit crabs.
Estivation
Estivation is very similar to hibernation and brumation, but applied to extreme dryness and high temperatures that can come in summer months. It’s the similar state of being temporarily inactive or in a deep sleep, like hibernation and brumation, but during summer months (although this term is sometimes applied to winter as well). Physical functions may be slowed or suspended over a period of time. In the animal world, estivation (also spelled aestivation) is experienced by crocodiles, some land snails, salamanders, lungfish, fat-tailed lemurs and many others. Sometimes, estivation is attributed to behaviors of terrestrial hermit crabs when experiencing extreme heat or dryness.
THIS CAN HAPPEN WHEN A HERMIT CRAB HABITAT IS KEPT TOO HOT, TOO HUMID OR TOO DRY!
Dormancy
Dormancy is the state of being temporarily inactive or in a deep sleep. Physical functions may be slowed or suspended over a period of time.
Land hermit crabs can, when faced with extreme heat, extreme cold or extreme dryness, go into a range of dormancy.
This behavior is exhibited as a longer-than-normal disappearance (burrowing in substrate) when not molting, or a longer-than-normal period of deep sleep.
Dormancy is the behavior all hermit crab pet owners should watch for, as this directly relates to the habitat enclosure conditions.
Signs your Hermit Crab is Dormant
If your hermit crab is burrowed but not because he needs to molt, he is trying to escape or hide from something. This can be caused by stress, bullying, overcrowding, or… extreme environmental conditions like temperature, dryness, humidity.
If habitat conditions aren’t healthy due to exteme cold, heat, too dry, too humid or no food or water… it’s very likely your hermit crabs will slow down, become inactive, sleep for longer periods than normal, not eat or drink, become lethargic and could burrow in an effort to go dormant and save their energy for… survival mode.
For more information on hermit crab behaviors and burrowing, see my article Why Do Hermit Crabs Bury Themselves, here.
Is Dormancy Normal?
Hermit crabs going dormant is a survival mechanism, which can be normal as a way to escape extreme conditions.
However, it is NOT a normal part of their lifecycle and in a habitat, dormancy (what looks like hibernation) indicates problems.
If hermit crabs go dormant (not due to molting), there is a problem in the habitat.
In the wild, hermit crabs can go dormant if there is an extreme cold snap:
– temperatures dipping below 40’s for longer than a day or two
– temperatures reaching higher than 85 degrees over an extended period of time
– extreme drought, flood or dryness when food and water is scarce
In these cases, hermit crabs will conserve their energy and slow their metabolism so they don’t need food or water for as long as possible until environmental conditions improve.
Keep Habitat Conditions Healthy
For more information on keeping your hermit crab habitat conditions healthy, see my article Do Hermit Crab Pets Need Heat, here.
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API