Crab shelf life

[basscrabing]

This question comes up a lot on this board so I wanted to give you the results of an experiment I did last summer.  I to wanted to know how long crabs live out of water after being caught.  I took one crab i didn't cook and put him in a bushel basket on the back deck in the shade.  Temps were in the mid to high 80's.  Once a day I went out to the deck and poured a glass of water on his head and put the lid back on.  He lived for five days doing this.  On the six day he was still alive so I released him that day when I went back out crabbing.  He earned it.  If its cool and moist they will live.  But over a couple days some will die, thats the answer.  Now get out their and catch em.

[tattoo]

Cool stuff . 

[jack1747]

Once, I was doing some loader work out at the edge of the marsh.  Dipped the bucket in the creek to wash the mud out.  Must have scooped up a small crab then.  Parked the loader for at least 10 days.  When I went to use it again there was this little crab.  Alive and well.  The only moisture he got was the dew in the morning...