Hermit crabs vary in their personalities just like people do. Some are very shy, some are very active. Some are mean, others are friendly. It will take a lot of time to find out what type of crab you have. While you're waiting, be very gentle with it, this will help it be friendly towards you.

Take the crab out of the cage to play with you. This way it gets used to you. Keep an eye on it so they don't scurry away and hide. Shy crabs don't walk around much. They slowly get their legs out. Any quick movements will send them back in their shells for protection. Move slowly or not at all if you want to see them move.

Large crabs are less shy, since they have less to fear from predators. This means they're also less afraid of you. Large ones and smaller crabs don't get along very well for this reason. Keep them seperate. If you have to, be sure to monitor which ones get along best before putting them in the same cage. Don't keep other animals with them such as turtles, lizards, fish, frogs, or salamanders. One or the other will end up hurt, or worse, dinner.

Crabs have very bad depth perception. The dolts will walk right off a drop a few feet high one minute and be scred to death to walk off something a couple inches high the next.

Just because they're called HERMIT crabs doesn't mean they live alone. In the wild they live in groups of 10-150. This is definitely not hermit-like. Always give them someone to be with. It keeps them active and they like having company. 1