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Step 1
Determine which species of hermit crab you are interested in purchasing. Coenobita clypeatus and Coenobita compressus are popular species of crabs that are sold as pets. The common names for these crabs are "land hermit crabs" and "Ecuadorian crabs," respectively.
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Step 2
Call local pet shops. Ask if they sell hermit crabs and hermit crab accessories. Pet shops that sell a wide variety of hermit crab care equipment and accessories may have a special interest in them and employees may be more knowledgeable of their care requirements.
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Step 3
Visit the pet shop and check the conditions in which the hermit crab has been living. Overcrowded, dirty, smelly tanks with not enough food or water may indicate sickly hermit crabs.
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Step 4
Inspect the crab's appearance. Check for fungus, mites and discolorations on the crab's shell or body. If the crab exhibits any of these symptoms, it is advisable to locate another pet shop that sells hermit crabs, since one infected crab may have infected the rest that are for sale. Darker crab skin colors indicate health.
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Step 5
Observe the hermit crab's behavior. Lift it from the habitat and gauge its response to your hand. A crab that automatically retracts into its shell upon initial handling, but eventually comes out again, shows its alertness. The crab may be ill or injured if it refuses to come out of its shell after a few minutes or does not show reticence during the initial handling.
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Step 6
Purchase a healthy hermit crab. Hermit crabs that are awake, active, responsive and have all their limbs are generally healthy.
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Step 7
Buy all necessary equipment for hermit crab care: a tank, a heating apparatus, temperature and humidity gauges, substrate, water dechlorinator, calcium supplements and formulated hermit crab food. Do not be tempted to purchase "economy" level equipment or accessories, as poor quality may affect your hermit crab's health later.
