PURPLE GLOVES VAMPIRE CRAB – 紫幽灵恶魔蟹

THE VAMPIRE CRAB ARE SMALL, COLORFUL, SEMI-TERRESTRIAL SPECIEs KNOWN FROM RAINFOREST VALLEYs ON THE INDONESIAN ISLAND OF JAVA. THESE BRIGHTLY COLOURED DECAPODs HAVE EARNED THIS FORMIDABLE COMMON NAME FROM THEIR GLOWING EYEs & CREPUSCULAR FEEDING HABITs.

THE NATURAL HABITAT CONSISTs OF ROCKY CAVEs & SMALL BURROWs EXCAVATED IN THE SOIL OF THE VALLET SLOPEs NEAR TO THE EDGE OF THE FRESHWATER STREAM THAT FLOWs THROUGH THE AREA. THE WATER IS RELATIVELY SHALLOW & WARM. THERE ARE PLENTY OF ROOTs & TROPICAL VEGETATION OFOR THE CRABs TO CLIMB UP ON TO BASK OUT OF THE WATER. THIS CRAB REQUIRED A PALUDARIUM OR AN AQUARIUM THAT HAS A VASTLY DROPPED WATER LEVEL WITH DECOR & PLANTs EXTENDING ABOVE THE WATER LINE, LEADING ON TO DRY LAND. APPROXIMATELY, 2/3 OF THE LAYOUT SHOULD BE LAND, 1/3 OF IT SHOULD BE WATER.

BREEDING
RED DEVIL & VAMPIRE CRABS BOTH HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BRED IN THE HOME AQUARIUM. AFTER MATING, THE FEMALE CRAB WILL CARRY THE EGGs UNDER HER ABDOMEN FOR SEVERAL WEEKs BEFORE THEY HATCH & MINIATURE CRABs EMERGE – THERE IS NO LARVAL STAGE. THE YOUNG SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME IN OR VERY NEAR TO THE WATER, BECOMING PROPORTIONALLY MORE TERRESTRIAL AS THEY MATURE.