My chinese mantis is getting old and it is starting to show. She was wild caught right before her last molt. I have had her for some time. She laid her fifth ooth yesterday with many complications. Her legs just don't stick as well to any surfaces. This was what made it hard to lay her fifth ooth. But she was determined and got the job done and it resulted in a nice ooth. But she keeps falling in her enclosure. Kinda sad to see I must admit. But she is determined. She is still eating normally and catching most of her own food. Wonder how long it will be until she is gone? I look over to my right at all the baby nymphs from her first ooth then look back over to their mother who is slowly getting crippled. You kinda get attached to some of these after awhile.
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What to do with a mantis with failing health?
Replies (8)
You can wait for it to die, or put it in the freezer and be done with it. Really, thats what happens to most wild mantids anyway- the first frost takes them.
-L
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www.Wildeyereptiles.com
Chamaeleo quadricornis
Uroplatus phantasticus
Uroplatus ebanaui
Uroplatus fimbriatus
Uroplatus pietschmanni
Rhacodactylus ciliatus
Rhacodactylus auriculatus
Phyllocrania paradoxa
Blepharopsis mendica
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii
Gongylus gongylodes
Creobroter gemmatus
Parasphendale affinis
Sphodromantis lineola
Hierodula grandis
Chalcosoma caucasus
Dynastes tityus
Dynastes granti
Allomyrhina dichotoma
Haplopelma lividum
Poecilotheria regalis
Epebophus murinus
Acanthoscurria geniculata
Yeah I know. As long as she is still eating and acting for the most part normal I won't kill her. ONce she gets a good stable position she can stay there awhile but once she starts moving around she is falling to the bottom.
Its the time of the year. My male just died the same way. He was a real good mantid!!!
Yeah it is that time of year. She is doing well tonight. Hanging head down and not falling. I dropped a few crickets in and she snapped them right up. So shes still good to go. The nymphs from her first ooth just did their first molt.
Glad to hear the babies doing good, Its really sad that mantids dont live very long!! I get so attached to the little guys and then they pass on ya!!
A lot of the more exotic species live considerably longer than these wild caught or US native species. I have a budwing that has been an adult almost 1 year, and just recently lost a ghost that was well over a year as an adult. The species that are not in natural cycle live much longer than the seasonal native species.
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www.Wildeyereptiles.com
Chamaeleo quadricornis
Uroplatus phantasticus
Uroplatus ebanaui
Uroplatus fimbriatus
Uroplatus pietschmanni
Rhacodactylus ciliatus
Rhacodactylus auriculatus
Phyllocrania paradoxa
Blepharopsis mendica
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii
Gongylus gongylodes
Creobroter gemmatus
Parasphendale affinis
Sphodromantis lineola
Hierodula grandis
Chalcosoma caucasus
Dynastes tityus
Dynastes granti
Allomyrhina dichotoma
Haplopelma lividum
Poecilotheria regalis
Epebophus murinus
Acanthoscurria geniculata
Yea I caught mine, ...well he caught me about 2 months ago outside, I never though I would bring home a mantid but this one happily hitched a ride on my head!!! LOL
Well she took a turn for the worse yesteday morning. Was starting to fall and not get back up very fast at all. Wasn't able to get rid of waste very well either. It just kinda came out all runny and stuck to her. So to save her the suffering she went to the freezer. Gotta concentrate on the nymphs now!
