Sounds like our experience with hermit crabs! We finally decided that the only pets we can successfully raise were furry ones. We now have a cat and two rats. Yes, rats! My wife loves them! And for all you smart alecks, she loves me too...at least I think she does!
For our next furry pet, I am trying to talk her into a German Shepherd Dog. I have always wanted one and now I have the land and time for one. Only have to convince the missus, and the cat!
Hermit crabs
Moderator: Styles Bitchley
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Frodoleader
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James, I love the hermit crab story, sad as it was for your children. Have to agree with Golf on the furry domesticated pet issue. That said, I may have spent more time and money than you did, on a batch of butterflies this past winter. We have, on our tiny 50’ x 100’ beach lot, a wildlife habitat. It’s certified by NWF, HSUS and Audubon. There are loads of creatures living in and passing through this tiny space: 40 species of birds, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, toads, lizards, voles, bats and others I may not have seen.
Anyway, on to the butterflies…. Last December I noticed a number of Monarch caterpillars on some milkweed. December is much too late for caterpillars, so we kept an eye on them. It was cold, by California standards, and the caterpillars went through their instars rather slowly. We kept watching. When a heavy storm came through, my husband and son erected a lean-to to protect the caterpillars. We did a head count every day. After weeks, none had turned into chrysalises (due to the cold) so I decided they had to come inside. My son built a cage and in they came. By now we didn’t have enough milkweed left to feed them, so the hunt was on for a nursery that had a full size milkweed plant. Found one, bought it, and brought it home. It was just like the book, The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar. Now these guys are 2 inches long and eating every leaf I put in the cage. Finally, they began to turn into chrysalises. Now, anyone can watch a video on Youtube of this change, but when it happens right in your house, it’s easy to become a little too attached to the creatures.
Two weeks later, in a much larger and taller cage, we had butterflies. Butterflies, that couldn’t be released outside because their wings don’t work if it’s less than 70 degrees out. Butterflies, who would not eat by themselves. That’s right, they can migrate thousands of miles but they won’t eat without a little help. So, I’m up at 5:00 am to hand feed the butterflies. No small task because there were 15 in the first “litter”. Back home by 5:00pm to do it again. Finally, we had some warm weather and let them go, only to find a second batch of caterpillars. The story repeated itself. This time, I solved the feeding problem by buying a “travel” cage and bringing them to work. Students would stop by, after class, and feed them for me! It worked very well.
I also promised my husband that it would never happen again. Next winter it may be baby squirrels or bats!
Anyway, on to the butterflies…. Last December I noticed a number of Monarch caterpillars on some milkweed. December is much too late for caterpillars, so we kept an eye on them. It was cold, by California standards, and the caterpillars went through their instars rather slowly. We kept watching. When a heavy storm came through, my husband and son erected a lean-to to protect the caterpillars. We did a head count every day. After weeks, none had turned into chrysalises (due to the cold) so I decided they had to come inside. My son built a cage and in they came. By now we didn’t have enough milkweed left to feed them, so the hunt was on for a nursery that had a full size milkweed plant. Found one, bought it, and brought it home. It was just like the book, The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar. Now these guys are 2 inches long and eating every leaf I put in the cage. Finally, they began to turn into chrysalises. Now, anyone can watch a video on Youtube of this change, but when it happens right in your house, it’s easy to become a little too attached to the creatures.
Two weeks later, in a much larger and taller cage, we had butterflies. Butterflies, that couldn’t be released outside because their wings don’t work if it’s less than 70 degrees out. Butterflies, who would not eat by themselves. That’s right, they can migrate thousands of miles but they won’t eat without a little help. So, I’m up at 5:00 am to hand feed the butterflies. No small task because there were 15 in the first “litter”. Back home by 5:00pm to do it again. Finally, we had some warm weather and let them go, only to find a second batch of caterpillars. The story repeated itself. This time, I solved the feeding problem by buying a “travel” cage and bringing them to work. Students would stop by, after class, and feed them for me! It worked very well.
I also promised my husband that it would never happen again. Next winter it may be baby squirrels or bats!
Higgins: You've washed the car?! How extraordinary. Why would you do such a thing?
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SelleckLover
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Wow, MPS...I'm very impressed with your dedication! Very admirable! The closest I've ever come to nurturing anything was just observing the teeniest little hummingbird's nest that was built on a string of Christmas lights left up waaaaaay too long on my balcony. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen! It had the tiniest eggs in it and they actually did hatch. One day I checked the nest and the babies were gone.
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J.J. Walters
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Great story MPS! That's what I call dedication!
Neat! What kind of criteria do you have to meet in order to be a certified wildlife habitat?MPS wrote:We have, on our tiny 50’ x 100’ beach lot, a wildlife habitat. It’s certified by NWF, HSUS and Audubon.
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!
The basic requirements are to provide: food, water, shelter and a place to raise young.James wrote:Neat! What kind of criteria do you have to meet in order to be a certified wildlife habitat?
We replaced most of our lawn with native California plants. We maintain a compost heap. We use no insecticides, so insects provide food for birds, raccoons, reptiles and bats. (These make up the food part)
We have a small pond (the water part).
The perimeter of the yard has tall, evergreen hedges and there is a 60 year-old tree in the center. We also have a couple of piles of rocks hidden in the corners (the shelter part)
Most of the plants and trees also provide a place to raise young. We have a squirrel drey (nest) and multiple bird nests right now. The reptiles use the areas around the pond and rock piles.
It works out very well. The animals keep the insect population down and are fun to watch. Right now, I have up hummingbird feeders because the hummingbirds are migrating through. In the winter we provide black oil sunflower seed and nyjer seed for the birds.
Since 5 of the 6 houses closest to us are doing the same type of thing, there is a synergistic effect. It's cool to come home from work and see what is hanging out in the yard. We have indoor cats who are always at the windows. It's like pet TV.
Higgins: You've washed the car?! How extraordinary. Why would you do such a thing?
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J.J. Walters
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That sounds like a wonderful yard (no, wildlife habitat!) that you have MPS! You must be very proud. I bet the Birds of Prey love it, too! 
You're probably right! The problem is, all of the hermit crab information out there strongly recommends that you get more than one, as they are social creatures and prefer to be with others. In the wild they live in colonies of up a 100 or more!Miss Q wrote:James - we got a hermit crab for my god daughter when we were in Mrytle Beach 3 years ago.... Maybe because "Mrytle" had no one to fight with she is still around....
Higgins: It's not a scratch! It's a bloody gouge!
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