Sexing

For many hermit crab keepers the gender of their pets is a complete mystery, something guessed at with no real idea how to be sure either way. Looking at a hermit crab sat in their shell it is easy to believe there is no visible proof of gender difference unless you get lucky enough to see one with eggs. There is however a way to find out, one that unfortunately needs luck or a cooperative individual to see! 

 

 On the underside of a female crab two small dots can be found located on the first segment of the back legs. These are called gonopores and can be tricky to spot. The gonopores are where the male will place his spermatophore during mating and are believed to be slightly larger (and thus easier to spot) on a female that has previously mated. 

 

It is very important to never try and force your crabs to come out enough to see, or to pull them out in any way. Patience is needed and sometimes just during tank exploration you may catch a glimpse while they stretch farther to climb. Crabs do not like or appreciate being dangled so anything more than a brief glance underneath during holding is not ideal and the risk of pinching will always be present. A lot of well established crabs will come out enough for you to tell but some may never allow this, these little ones will have to remain a mystery.