Hermit Crabs and Leopard Tortoise

[tortellini617]

Apologies if this has been asked a bunch or if it is a dumb question.

I heard that hermit crabs are good for cleaning up excess food and bugs in the enclosure. Since they are nocturnal and would need a separate area that the tortoise cant reach, such as an elevated substrate, they wouldn't interact much and it the crab wouldn't really think to mess with the tort.

Is there any truth to this? Does anyone here have any success keeping hermits with a leopard? Or is it simply too much of a hassle?

 

[BILBO-03]

I wouldn't do it. They can spread germs to each other so it's bad for each of them. And they probably need different temperatures. You can get some pill bugs they clean up the waste and excess food.

 

[dmmj]

I know several keepers use hermit crab with their redfootz but they often get eaten I would try pill bugs.

 

[tortellini617]

Thanks for the responses. I saw some differing info in this thread here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/tortoise-and-hermit-crabs.26935/

Is this simply outdated info or did the consensus on housing multiple species together change once people became more aware of tortoise needs?

 

[Greg T]

I wouldn't do it either. My large adults would smush crabs without even knowing it.

 

[MPRC]

I've never heard of this, but I know my reds would eat a crab without a second thought.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've never heard of this, but I know my reds would eat a crab without a second thought.

.........And anything else that looks like it might be tasty.