So when I was an adult I resolved to have animals! Whatever I wanted I WOULD HAVE! I now know, there can be too many animals. In our household we have 3 dogs (all rescues mind you), two goldfish ( I could say rescues because they could not find anyone to take the gold fish from the Mother's day party at a preschool event) and 1 hermit crab (only because he is Hannibal the Lectur re-incarnate and killed the other 3 crabs). Oh yeah and one cat, though I am deathly allergic, he needed a home.
The benefits of many animals, is that you are exposed to many allergens, though we have a crazy home rarely ( knock on wood) do we find ourselves battling all the illness that others seem to endure.
There are so many stories and many to come but I will just start with the most recent tales of woe.
Our crab and goldfish whom my husband has tirelessly cared for have gone through a few changes. As mentioned before, I am cheap. We wish upon the CRAIGSLIST FAIRY to fulfill our needs. Well the goldfish have grown beyond belief (I never though they would last over a year). We needed a new tank. Low and behold a friend's fish met a terrible demise when his girls dropped unauthorized items into the tank....resulting in death. But for us we have scored. Our fish are loving their new habitat. However, those fish are huge and seem to have an ammonia problem!
Our crab came from ocean city Maryland. Wylie chose two crabs. The poor things....you have seen the tourist traps selling the poor guys? Some had painted shells, others had football helmets glued to their shells. I guess you could also call this a rescue. We took them home. Gave them a fancy tank. They played with my daughter. We have had dress up. they have rode in toy cars, as well as many other adventures.
They are said to be gregarous creatures. They can live up to 30 years. If you research info on them....there is so much to learn. They really are cool and entertaining. Unless, one of them is a serial killer! Maybe it was the name my daughter gave to him....Needle. He was later renamed to Rolly Polly 2, then Herman the hermit crab and scaredy crab( after stealing the shell from one of his tank mates). I think we should have named him Ted Bundy or Hannibal. Many of times (for simplicity purposes, since he has so many alias, Hannibal)
Often you would find Hannibal bumped up to another crabs shell. At first we thought maybe we had a male and female....but no/ He was a clothes horse. If there was a shell he wanted, he would take it! As time passed he had drug many crabs from their shells....After killing his first roommate. We bough two more crabs. As our research indicated, they are very social creatures and should exist with other hermit crabs. But maybe there is a reason they call them hermits? But maybe the life in a cage at Ocean City turned him....Maybe it was too much time on the inside? Maybe he made himself a shive?
Soon after the introduction of the new crabs, we found a common activity being that the new crabs were burying themselves. "oh they must be molting". No they were trying to stay alive. Soon enough Hannibal had ripped his roommate out of their shells and killed them.
My husband was always concerned about Wylie handling her pets. She surely would forget about them, loose them who know what. Wylie and I had gone to Florida, prior to our trip to Colorado one summer. Scott being the great hubby he stayed and worked and cared for the great menagerie. Well Hannibal was given a leave. Scott brought him out to an open air terrarium on the back porch. He was left to his own whims and soon....MIA! I told our dog sitter not to worry. He was gone. It was just one less animal to worry about. We had one nice crab left. one who had never murdered another crab. He was a model crab citizen.
The one and only crab seemed to enjoy his solace. We saw him a bit more than previously. But one stormy day.......something wicked this way comes. I came home one day from dropping Wylie to school. A bright green something caught my eye...1.5 months later there was HANNIBAL, waiting at the doggie door. I had chalked him up for dead, bird food, squirrel food....who knows! But a month and a half and here he returns from his "walk about"!? I believe he should have had war paint on his little claws. A crab defeating all odds! Out in the wilderness, alive and well!.......with a taste for blood we would later learn.
We returned the sociopaths crab to the aquarium. His friend immediately sought safety....sooner or later you just can't hide. Hannibal had a taste for blood and eminent domain.
Sadly Hannibal was the last one standing. Was it like the scene from Brave Heart, Was it the scene from Hannibal when he ate that man's brains? Was it a talented Mr. Ripley? Who is to say but the little guy could not stand the attack.
Long live Hannibal, the crab that keeps going. though we had wondered thorough all of the blood shed....should he be allowed to continue his reign of terror? But we believed he could be a better crab. He came home didn't he? This is where he wanted to be. He wants to rejoin the last of his family? OH, he wanted to claim his kingdom, and that is what he did.
He did away with all his competition, he is now the last one standing. Did we have a crab cage match and not know it? maybe he is wearing a little black armband to mourn his fellow crabs....probably not. Once he had cleared his cage of all oppressors...he was king. He was out basking in the heat lamp, climbing every mountain! Until yesterday, we had last seen him drinking and eating. The next morning there he was tipped with his claws tot he sky...DEAD! DEAD! DEAD!
I knew my hubby would be so sad. My daughter too. Not knowing if I wanted to keep the animal to human ratio so high, I was not so sad. My Husband said he was unable to go to work that day, I believe due to grief, or as he said headache.
We mourned the loss of the crab. We wondered if another should be purchased. I suggested a turtle for replacement, which was quickly scoffed. Like an epiphany my husband staring sadly at the carcass....screams , he is moving! sure enough that maniac has come back to life. He was only molting. HE IS ALIVE! My husband and child rejoices. But I really wanted a tortoise.
No comments:
Post a Comment