Is it mad if hermit crabs sleep all day?

Answer 1

That depends on what you mean by "sleep." Hermit crabs are nocturnal, which means they usually come out at night. The reason they are nocturnal in their native habitat is because it is too hot for them to come out during the day, though you will see them out and about on overcast days.

When hermit crabs are kept in captivity and their conditions are perfect, they will occasionally cease being strictly nocturnal and will roam their cages during the daytime.

A hermit crab that stays in its shell, and does not move all winter is probably dead. Winter is a hard time for most hermit crabs, because most hermit crab owners do not understand that hermit crabs must be kept in humid conditions, at temperatures above 75 degrees. When the temperature gets below 65 they start to slow down and will eventually die if they stay cold for too long. If their cage is not humid enough, they will suffocate to death because they require humid air to breathe properly.

As a side note, the plastic boxes most places sell as hermit crab cages are TERRIBLE for hermit crabs. A person interested in owning and caring for hermit crabs should be ready to spend at least $50 (preferably more!) on a good home for them, a glass aquarium with a snug-fitting glass lid to hold in humidity, and a reliable heat source.

Answer 2

Most land hermit crab species are nocturnal. They sleep during the day because they need to, not because they are mad. But if you disturb them while they sleep, you may get pinched! They hate to be woken up.

Answer 3

Yes hermit crabs are nocturnal so you might not notice that they are walking all over the place at night.