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Saving Hermit Crabs by Breeding Them in Suburbs

Source: nytimes.com

Mary Akers breeds hermit crabs in her suburban home to prove they can thrive in captivity beyond their short pet-store lives.
She successfully raised 242 baby crabs in 2018 from the first captive generation, aiming for a second generation no one has achieved.
Her program challenges the throwaway pet industry by requiring adopters to pay $50 per crab and meet strict care standards.

Mary Akers, a self-taught hermit crab expert, breeds these often-mistreated pets in tanks mimicking their ocean habitat right in her suburbs. Hermit crabs can live up to 50 years but usually die young in captivity due to poor conditions. She's pushing to create the first viable captive breeding program, starting with a first generation and now targeting a second. This matters because it could shift how people value these creatures, treating them like real companions instead of disposable novelti