- Land hermit crabs are characterized by their black eyes and solid-colored legs, usually purple or red, according to Hermit-crab-care.com. Aquatic hermit crabs are characterized by multicolored, striped or speckled legs, and they often have barnacles on their shells.
- Aquatic hermit crabs live in salt water and can't survive out of the water for very long. In the wild, land hermit crabs live near the ocean shores or in the forest. They can survive on salt or fresh water. They can also survive away from the water, and many people keep them as pets. Both land and aquatic hermit crabs live in shells, and as they grow, they move out of their old shells and into larger ones.
- All hermit crabs are very social animals. In the wild, they live in groups. As pets, they prefer living with other hermit crabs.
- There are more than 500 species of hermit crabs worldwide. In the U.S., there are two common species of land hermit crabs that people keep as pets. They are the Caribbean crab, which comes from the Caribbean and is known for its purple pinchers, and the Ecuadorian crab, from Ecuador, which comes in many colors.
- Both land and aquatic hermit crabs eat meat and plants. As pets, land hermit crabs are often fed fruits and vegetables.
