Purple Pincher Hermit Crabs Love Turbo Shells!
Purple Pincher Hermit Crabs love turbo shells. When younger, most purple pinchers will try on every possible shell. But as they get older, most larger Purple Pinchers (also known as Caribbean Hermit Crabs and Tree Crabs) choose turbo shells when given a choice.
But why?
Turbo shells are a medium weight, and their shape makes it easy to maneuver in tight spaces. And probably most importantly, with a circular aperature (opening), their big pincher claw plus left walking leg curls up perfectly to protect the opening of the shell.
How to measure turbo shells for hermit crabs
The primary measurement for hermit crab shells is the width of the aperture (opening).
However, sometimes sellers will use the actual width of the shell itself, rather than the width of the opening.
The Purple Pincher species of hermit crab loves turbo shells. But Purple Pinchers and Turbo Shells aren’t found in the same places. So in the wild, hermit crabs won’t be seen in turbos… instead they are most commonly found in Murex, Conch and Whelk shells.
Anatomy of a Hermit Crab Shell
The Purple Pinchers love turbo shells because they are a perfect shape and weight for them. But turbo shells come from turbo snails, which aren’t found in the same ocean that Purple Pinchers live on the shores of.
So what other shells do purple pinchers love? Florida whelks! But these shells are way more popular with very young hermit crabs. The older hermit crabs prefer shells without the elongated siphonal canal, which makes it more difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.
Where to find turbo shells
There are hundreds of species of Turbo Snails in the ocean, and their shells wash up in many parts of the world. These turbo snails are most commonly found off the coasts of Mexico, Madagascar and Australia.
Where to buy turbo shells
Turbo shells can be purchased from:
- local pet stores
- beach and shell souvenir gift shops
- small pet supply websites
- independent sellers on Ebay, Etsy, Amazon
Most popular types of Turbo Shells
What are the most popular types of Turbo Shells for hermit crabs?
- green turbo
- pearl jade turbo
- banded (striped) turbo
- spotted turbo
- gold mouth turbo (yes, it’s the natural color!)
Turbo shells are also called turban shells. Besides these most common types, also look for terms like “turban” and “pica” when looking for more naturally beautiful types of turbo shells.
Painted turbo shells and evil
Unethical companies have been caught doing awful things to hermit crabs, in order to remove them from natural shells and into a painted shells.
They crush the hermit crab’s shell until it breaks off, then push them into a painted shell. This is done in mass production, to thousands of hermit crabs in these painted shell sweat shops. Once the surviving hermit crabs are in painted shells, they ship them by the thousands to the U.S. and other parts of the world.
Painted shells are used to attract new hermit crab owners, particularly kids. The paint college logos, football logos and everything they can think of to make the hermit crab more attractive to new buyers.
Aside from this horrificly evil, unethical behavior in which hundreds of hermit crabs are killed in the process, the painted shells may also be harmful. What type of paint did they use?
An unassuming buyer won’t ever know what a hermit crab in his cute painted shell went through… or how the paint could be harming him or others. Don’t buy painted hermit crab shells! Nature is beautiful, and “natural shells” are way more attractive! If you plan to buy a hermit crab that’s in a painted shell, make sure to give him plenty of natural shells to change into.
*personal note: I adopted a small purple pincher from an overcrowded, sad little pet store situation and he was in a purple painted shell (he’s in many photos on this site). He molted and grew but chose to stay in his purple painted shell for about six months. He finally did change.
First he chose a green turbo but only for a few weeks. Then he changed into a whelk but only for two days. Then he settled into a Florida conch shell which has lasted for quite a while now. And that green turbo shell he wore for a short time is now used by a different hermit crab. Yes, I get as much entertainment watching this bizarre behavior as they seem to in trying all the different shells on!
Remember, hermit crabs need plenty of extra shells. They like to try them on to find the right shape and size. Some hermit crabs seem more picky than others. Some try lots of shells on, and more frequently, while others stick to the same shells for long periods of time.
If you have Purple Pincher hermit crabs, make sure to provide a few Turbo Shells because they’ll most likely love those most, especially the larger they get.
More on providing a healthy, happy crabitat for your hermies:
Last update on 2024-05-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API