Invertebrates and Amphibians
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Hermit Crabs
Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea. Most species of hermit crabs have long soft abdomens which are protected from predators by the adaptation of carrying around a salvaged empty seashell, into which the whole crab's body can retract. As the hermit crab grows in size it has to find a larger shell and abandon the previous one. This habit of living in a second hand shell is what gave rise to the popular name "hermit crab", which is a reference to the idea of a hermit living alone in a small cave.
Hermit Crabs make great low maintenance pets! They are also very entertaining animals; they can climb, dig, hold on to your shirt with their claws as you walk. All you need to keep a crab is a crabarium (old fish tank), some gravel, extra shells in different sizes, and water and food dishes (make sure the dishes are shallow enough for the crab to easily climb out of) and you are all ready for your crabs!
Care of the tree crab includes daily feeding and watering. A commercial food from a pet store is sufficient, however you may supplement the diet with fresh fruits and veggies, but you should make sure not to leave un-eaten fruits or veggies in the tank for more than 24 hours. In addition to drinking water, hermit crabs also need to be sprinkled daily with luke warm water to keep them from drying out. Mist from a spray bottle filled with lukewarm water works well. Keep the tank temperature between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. About once a month you should remove all the gravel from the crabarium, rinse it well without soap and let dry before returning it back to the crabarium; this will remove non eaten food, and waste.
Firebelly Newt
The Fire Belly Newt is known as the Japanese Fire Belly Newt, Japanese Fire Newt, and Aka-Hara-Imori in Japanese. By whatever name, this wonderful newt can make a great addition to even a beginning hobbyist's collection because they are relatively easy to care for and inexpensive.
The Fire Belly Newt is quite mellow. The best time to find them being active is around feeding time. Captive Fire Belly Newts should be fed live food. Some good choices include, small earthworms, waxworms, bloodworms, crickets, and slugs. Feeder fish can also be given occasionally, but they should not comprise the entire diet. Some will also eat frozen food such as bloodworms. Many keepers also recommend vitamin supplements.
The natural habitat of the Fire Belly Newt is the cool, still waters of heavily vegetated ponds. The captive environment should mimic their natural surroundings as much as possible. The Fire Belly Newt, like many amphibians, is largely aquatic. Some have reported exceptions, but generally they like to spend most of their time in water. They should always be given the option to move to and from land. A two-thirds aquatic to one-third land ratio seems to do quite well. A ten-gallon tank should sufficiently house two to three newts comfortably.
Floating plants like elodea are wonderful decorations for the aquatic parts of the tank. The tank should also provide several dark hiding places for them as well. Temperature should be cool. They seem to do well at temperatures ranging from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
