Do hermit crabs lose their legs?

Find out why hermit crab legs fall off, if it is normal, if you need to do anything about it, and whether or not they will grow back. ... On occasion, hermit crabs will lose their legs (including their claws) and they can be grown back during subsequent molts. read more

Therefore, if you have a hermit crab that is losing their legs you should make sure there are no problems with them before assuming the legs will grow back. While losing a limb is not a death sentence for a crab, it is still usually an indication of some sort of problem that needs attention immediately. read more

A hermit crab can lose his limbs for a number of reasons, including shell fights with other crabs, injury and stress. When a hermit crab loses a limb to stress, the limb separates from his body at the base. If he loses more than one limb in the span of a few hours, then he will likely not survive. read more

Another reason crabs lose a limb or a cheliped is when a crab moults and does not shed their entire exoskeleton in one piece, but instead section by section, over a number of days. Generally if they survive the moult they grow their limbs back again (regeneration) and can be happy and healthy. read more