Land Hermit Crab Species
Six land hermit crab species can be kept as pets in the United States. In Australia, the majority of hermit crabs kept as pets are C. variabilis, although some owners have managed to find C. perlatus, the "strawberry" hermit crab. In Japan, there are two native species of hermit crabs that have been kept as pets.
Below highlights some general characteristics of each species. Some hermit crabs may look very different to the rest of their species. For example, not all C. cavipes have red eyestalks, nor are all C. violascens violet in colour.
Coenobita Brevimanus
Availability: United States
Eye shape: Spherical
Eyestalks: Dark
Exoskeleton: Dark purple, brown
Coenobita Cavipes
Availability: United States
Eye shape: Elongated
Eyestalks: Red
Exoskeleton: Brown, orange, red, blue
Coenobita Clypeatus
Availability: United States
Eye shape: Spherical
Eyestalks: Light tan
Exoskeleton: Dark red, purple, brown
Coenobita Compressus
Availability: United States
Eye shape: Elongated
Eyestalks: Light tan
Exoskeleton: Bluish grey, brown, tan
Coenobita Perlatus
Availability: Australia, United States
Eye shape: Elongated
Eyestalks: Red
Exoskeleton: Red, orange
Coenobita Purpureus
Availability: Japan
Eye shape: Elongated
Eyestalks: Light tan
Exoskeleton: Dark purple, brown
Coenobita Rugosus
Availability: United States
Eye shape: Elongated
Eyestalks: Light tan
Exoskeleton: Brown, tan, grey
Coenobita Variabilis
Availability: Australia
Eye shape: Elongated
Eyestalks: Light tan
Exoskeleton: Tan, brown, dark brown
Coenobita Violascens
Availability: Japan
Eye shape: Elongated
Eyestalks: Dark
Exoskeleton
