Last Updated on: 1st October 2023, 02:21 pm
The nutritional value of eggs puts them high on a hermit crab’s list of recommended foods.
Eggs bolster the health of hermit crabs with protein, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Raw eggs are most nutritious, but you can feed cooked eggs to hermit crabs.
Grind some eggshell into a hermit crab’s meal. Just 1 gram of eggshell contains 380 mg of calcium. Hermit crabs need calcium for a strong and resilient exoskeleton.
You can make eggs more tempting by adding some rock salt. This will react with the humidity of the enclosure and rouse their senses.
Do Hermit Crabs Like Eggs?
Hermit crabs aren’t fussy eaters, even when offered something entirely new. This means you can offer many different foods to these omnivorous animals, including raw and cooked eggs.
Once hermit crabs grow accustomed to feeding on eggs, they’ll look forward to their meal.
Are Eggs Good for Hermit Crabs?
Eggs contain many nutrients that are beneficial to the health of hermit crabs.
The average nutritional value of one large hen’s egg is as follows:
| Calories | 78 |
| Total Fat | 5.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.5 g |
| Cholesterol | 186.5 mg |
| Sodium | 2.3 mg |
| Potassium | 9 mg |
| Protein | 7.5 g |
The nutritional profile of an egg may differ depending on how it’s prepared. For example, an egg fried with vegetable oil increases the fat and calories.
Can You Feed Hermit Crabs Eggs?
If hermit crabs like eggs, they should become part of their meal plan.
Hermit crabs enjoy a varied diet and grow bored of the same food on concurrent days. However, there are advantages to introducing eggs into their feeding rotation.
Benefits of Feeding Eggs to Hermit Crabs
The high calcium content is the main advantage of feeding eggs to hermit crabs.
As Iheringia: Série Zoologia explains, calcium helps build and strengthen the exoskeleton of a hermit crab, which is especially important when molting.
Protein combines with calcium to keep a hermit crab strong and healthy. Eggs also contain potassium, which provides energy and keeps hermit crabs active.
Egg yolk contains cholesterol. This is needed for cell membranes and vitamin D production. One medium-sized egg contains 170 to 180 mg of cholesterol. Eggs are also low in saturated fat.
Eating eggs encourages hormone production in hermit crabs. It’s rare for captive hermit crabs to breed, but if this is an ambition, feeding eggs to them will increase your chances of success.
Drawbacks of Eggs to Hermit Crabs
Hermit crabs are drawn to food by its smell, and sweet, cloying aromas are likeliest to attract attention. Eggs, while having a distinctive smell, may not pique their interest. Adding some rock salt can help.
BMC Neuroscience explains how airborne sodium stimulates a hermit crab’s aerial sense of smell, and strongly scented oils serve the same purpose.
If hermit crabs bury or hide eggs, they’ll spoil in the heat and humidity.
How To Feed Eggs To Hermit Crabs
You can share eggs cooked on a stove with hermit crabs or offer them raw.
Raw Eggs
Raw eggs are recommended because heat destroys some of the nutrients in eggs.
Access to pure egg yolk and egg white ensures hermit crabs get enough protein. The yolk is the most important of these two components because it’s where 90% of an egg’s calcium is found.
Crack raw eggs into a small dish and place them in the enclosure before the hermit crabs awaken.
You can add a pinch of salt to stimulate scent and herbs for taste.
Scrambled Eggs
Hermit crabs enjoy scrambled eggs because the soft texture makes them easy to consume.
Be careful about adding milk to scrambled eggs for taste if you serve them to hermit crabs. Hermit crabs aren’t lactose intolerant but struggle with dairy products when consumed regularly.
Add some herbs to the scrambled eggs to keep the hermit crabs interested. Popular herbs for hermit crabs include mint (not peppermint, which is toxic), coriander, thyme, and basil.
Boiled Eggs
Boiled eggs, served within the shell, can make a good snack for hermit crabs. Eggshells are high in calcium, so encouraging hermit crabs to eat the shell is advised.
A soft-boiled egg can be cracked open using the chelipeds in readiness for consumption.
Fried And Poached Eggs
Frying and poaching eggs aren’t recommended. While these cooking methods provide access to the egg whites and yolk, they’re harder to eat.
If you decide to fry an egg, don’t apply much heat. The hotter the pan, the more nutrients will be destroyed. Use fatty oils to grease the pan.
If you heat eggs on the stove, avoid using traditional vegetable oil. Instead, use coconut oil.
How Often Can I Give Eggs to Hermit Crabs?
Eggs are best served to hermit crabs once a week, which is enough to help them flourish and grow suitably strong. Don’t offer eggs so frequently that hermit crabs grow weary of the taste.
To provide more interest, consider offering different types of eggs, alternating between raw and cooked.
Eggs, especially the yolks and shells, are extremely healthy for hermit crabs.
