Vampire crab "Yellow eye" - Geosesarma spec.

The rather reserved dark purple and bluish colored Yellow Eye vampire crab with white claws and sulfur yellow eyes comes from Southeast Asia. It is an as yet undescribed species from the land crab genus Geosesarma and is known as Geosesarma sp. "Yellow Eye". The family of vampire crabs is popular in the terrarium hobby, because on the one hand they are great colored, on the other hand they do not eat plants and thirdly with a little luck they can even be bred in the terrarium. The Yellow Eye Vampire Crab is a bit shy at first and rather nocturnal, but can be observed in the terrarium during the day after a certain period of acclimation.

With a carapace diameter of about 2 to 3 cm, the Yellow Eye Vampire Crab remains rather medium-sized for a species of the genus Geosesarma. The males of the Yellow Eye Vampire Crab can be easily distinguished from the females - their abdominal flap is shaped like an inverted V, while in the females the abdominal pouch looks like a large, upside-down U.

The Yellow Eye Vampire Crab is a very social group animal that actively interacts with its conspecifics, so it should not be kept alone. A group of the pretty, not so gaudy colored Geosesarma sp. "Yellow Eye" fits best in a species terrarium. It is best to keep these pretty semi-terrestrial crabs in a rainforest or wetland terrarium without the company of other terrarium animals. Exception: white isopods or springtails work well as a scavenging troop and live food supply. In particular, vampire crabs should never be kept with other crab species.

The Yellow Eye Vampire Crab lives semi-restrictively in nature, both in (very shallow) water and on land. Therefore, in a wet terrarium, this Geosesarma does not need a large, deep water section. A bathing bowl with fresh water is sufficient. It does not need to be deeper than a maximum of 10 cm and should have comfortable exit possibilities. The Yellow Eye Vampire Crab needs a humidity of 80-90% and prefers air temperatures between 20 and 26 °C. The substrate in the humid terrarium should be kept permanently moist, additionally you can keep the humidity high with a nebulizer or spray twice a day. Geosesarma sp. "Yellow Eye" is a good climber, so it is good if the doors and ventilation plates of the humid terrarium close flush and there are no openings through which the crabs can wander.

A small group of 3 Yellow Eye Vampire Crabs (preferably one male, two females) will fit well in a smaller, well and diversely furnished terrarium cube of 40x40x40 cm or larger. A group of 5-6 Yellow Eye Geosesarma of preferably 2 males and 3-4 females needs then already a terrarium from 60x30 cm floor space.

A species-appropriate arranged humid terrarium for Geosesarma sp. "Yellow Eye" offers beside many climbing possibilities and hiding places by roots, stones and plants also an approx. 10 cm deep, permanently humid bottom substrate from coco humus or terrarium humus, in which the small land crabs can build their short living caves. Geosesarma sp. "Yellow Eye" does not eat plants, so you have the full choice in the design. Perching plants that are not affected by the Yellow Eye vampire crabs' digging activities are particularly well suited.

Geosesarma land crabs belong to the specialized reproductive type, in which the females carry few, but proportionally larger eggs. No larvae hatch here, which would have to grow large in the water, but fully developed miniatures of the parent animals. The young crabs of Geosesarma sp. "Yellow Eye" are independent in the terrarium after hatching. The small Geosesarma are unfortunately quite cannibalistic among themselves, therefore the terrarium must be sufficiently large and offer the young crabs especially many Hiding places offer to the young crabs. Then nevertheless some young animals become large. If you want to breed the small Geosesarma sp. "Yellow Eye" specifically, we advise to separate the young crabs early or at least provide them with a separate rearing terrarium with extra many hiding places.

The Yellow Eye Vampire Crab is a carnivore - fruits and vegetables are not very high on their menu. For daily feeding we recommend a special food for carnivorous crabs, or a mixture of high quality frozen food, freeze-dried food and live food in the form of white isopods or springtails. By the way, springtails and white isopods also take care of dead plant debris and uneaten food in the wet terrarium, preventing mold and rot.

Our food recommendation: Crabs in the wild usually have a very varied diet. Most species are omnivorous, 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. 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.