Vampire crab "Volcano" - Geosesarma spec.

The Volcano Vampire Crab Geosesarma sp. "Volcano" resembles a bubbling lava flow - its orange to purple legs, the orange spot on the back and the red-purple coloring of the claw arms are just cool to look at. At the same time, the coloration is definitely somewhat individually different. This unspecified species of the genus Geosesarma from Southeast Asia is a very compatible terrarium animal as a member of the vampire crab family. Geosesarma land crabs are intensely and usually quite colorfully marked, they do not eat plants and with a little luck can even be bred in the terrarium. The Volcano Vampire Crab can be a bit shy at first because the animals tend to be nocturnal in nature. However, after a period of acclimation, they can definitely be seen in the terrarium during the day.

With a carapace of about 2 to 3 cm carapace width the Volcano Vampire Crab is a rather medium sized Geosesarma crab. Males of the Volcano Vampire Crab can be easily distinguished from females by the shape of their abdominal flap - their abdominal pouch looks like an inverted large V, while in females the abdominal pouch has the shape of a large, upside-down U.

A very social group animal, the Volcano Vampire Crab depends on the presence of conspecifics. The crabs actively interact and communicate and therefore should not be kept alone. A species terrarium is best suited for a group of the pretty, very colorful Geosesarma sp. "Volcano". A rainforest terr arium or humid terrarium is perfect for these pretty semi-terrestrial crabs. They should be kept without the company of other terrarium animals or even other crabs, with one exception: white isopods and springtails are a well-suited mopping-up party in the terrarium and also serve as a live food supply for the little crabs.

The Volcano Vampire Crab is a semi-terrestrial cra b and tends to spend more time on land than in the water. Therefore, in a humid terrarium, this Geosesarma species should be provided with a bathing bowl of fresh water no more than 10 cm high. A large water section is not necessary. Pay attention to comfortable exit possibilities from the water bowl! The Volcano Vampire Crab prefers a humidity of about 80-90% and air temperatures between 20 and 26 °C. The bottom substrate in the humid terrarium should be kept permanently moist to support humidity. In addition, the humidity is increased with a nebulizer, but you can also spray watertwice a day.

Geosesarma sp. "Volcano" is a good climber and needs an appropriate setup in the terrarium, with climbing possibilities and hiding places by roots, stones and plants. Doors and ventilation plates of the humid terrarium must close flush, so that the crabs cannot escape.

For a small terrarium from 40x40x40 cm a small group of 3 Volcano Vampire Crabs (preferably one male, two females) is suitable, in a larger terrarium from 60x30 cm floor space a group of 5-6 Volcano Geosesarma consisting ideally of 2 males and 3-4 females will find a suitable home.

In a species-appropriate arranged humid terrarium the group Geosesarma sp. "Volcano" also finds a bathing place. This does not require a large water part, an approx. 10 cm deep bowl with fresh water and appropriate exit points is sufficient. The permanently moist bottom substrate of coco humus or terrarium humus should be about 10 cm high, so that the small land crabs can build their short living caves in it. Geosesarma sp. "Volcano" does not like plants at all, therefore the wet terrarium can be planted nicely. Particularly great are here Aufsitzerpflanzen suitable, which can not be negatively affected by the digging activities of the Volcano vampire crabs.

Geosesarma sp. "Volcano" land crabs belong to the specialized reproductive type, which means that the females carry few but larger eggs in which larval development takes place completely. Thus, they do not hatch larvae that would have to develop in the water, but developed young crabs, perfect miniatures of their parents. The young Geosesarma sp. "Volcano" are independent directly after hatching and set out to explore the terrarium. Unfortunately, the small Geosesarma are quite cannibalistic among themselves, and even the larger crabs will eat the young if they catch any. For this reason the offspring in the terrarium needs a lot of Hiding placesalso the wet terrarium must be sufficiently large. The yield of young crabs is greater if the animals are separated quite quickly after hatching or if they are transferred to a separate rearing terr arium with especially many hiding places.

The Volcano Vampire Crab is like all crabs of the genus Geosesarma a convinced carnivore - fruits and vegetables are very far down on their menu. For the daily feeding of the Geosesarma sp. "Volcano" we therefore recommend a special food for carnivorous crabs, or alternatively a high-quality mixture of frozen food, freeze-dried food and live food. White isopods or springtails have proven themselves here. Springtails and white isopods also serve as a cleaning troop in the humid terrarium. They prevent mold and rot by utilizing uneaten food and dead plant parts.

Our food recommendation: Crabs in the wild usually have a very varied diet. Most species are omnivores, and with the Natureholic Crab Feed Sticks we have taken this preference into account. They contain biologically balanced animal and vegetable components, which are also part of the natural food spectrum of omnivorous crabs in the wild in this or a similar way. The valuable ingredients of NatureHolic Crab Feed naturally support the molting, digestion, growth and reproduction of your crabs.

Our plant recommendation: For planting, use marsh plants, which are plants that are rooted in soil that is very wet or even submerged, but whose flowers and leaves are usually all or partially in the airspace and can be seen above the water surface. Thus, marsh plants are usually found on and in lakes and streams, but also on and in garden ponds or other bodies of water that provide them with a wet substrate, but still leave room for flowers and leaves to show to the outside.

Expert Tip: We recommend NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid when keeping invertebrates. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your invertebrates. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.