# Starnge tail behavior



## smittys (Sep 19, 2009)

My praying mantises tail has been looking strange lately. Every once in a while it will almost fold over onto itself onto the mantises back. Is this normal? His appetite seems have to been very poor lately too. His tail will do that folding thing but then when I check on him a few hours later its back to normal. His had a fly in his enclosure for the past few days and I think he just finished a molt the other day because I see his shell on the bottom of his cage. Any ideas?


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## sbugir (Sep 19, 2009)

Maybe it's nervous? Maybe give him smaller food? Idk, but mine has been acting the same and she hasn't molted yet so that's what I'm assuming. But if yours has molted its either the food, not hungry, or nervous about something. Idk lol  

Oh and by the way, they arent tails, they're abdomens


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## idolomantis (Sep 19, 2009)

What do mean by folding? if it's like this it's normal:







Some mantids tend to "fold" their tail like that while eating.


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## agent A (Sep 19, 2009)

nice ghost mantis!


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## smittys (Sep 19, 2009)

idolomantis said:


> What do mean by folding? if it's like this it's normal:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes, like that but it tends to fold over at times where the tip of the "abdomen" (sorry I said tail earlier) actually touches his back. Its the strangest thing. But then it would go back to being straight again.


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## idolomantis (Sep 19, 2009)

Okay, don't worry then  

I don't which species you have, but it is like i said, they tend to hold their abdomen while eating.


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## smittys (Sep 19, 2009)

idolomantis said:


> What do mean by folding? if it's like this it's normal:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ok, I took a closer look at your picture and yes that is exactly what its doing. Do you know why its doing this? Is the other person who posted he's nervous correct? There is a caddis fly in the cage but nothing that the mantis has not taken down before as far as size goes.


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## idolomantis (Sep 19, 2009)

I don't know why they do that but i do know it's fine, your mantis should just take down prey as usual.

The mantis in my picture is a species that does that 24/7.


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## smittys (Sep 19, 2009)

idolomantis said:


> I don't know why they do that but i do know it's fine, your mantis should just take down prey as usual. The mantis in my picture is a species that does that 24/7.


Thank you for the info. I was really worried there for a while because the other mantis I had died soon after his molt. I actually had to put him in the freezer to end his suffering. Somehow he got stuck during his molt and couldn't feed himself anymore. I hand fed him food and water for several days but when I realized he was not going to heal himself I had to make the hard decision to put an end to his suffering. Thats why I got so nervous with this guy. I didn't want to loose a 2nd one. I think the one I have is the common Chinese Mantis. I bought the kit from Hobbytown USA and sent away for the egg sack (sorry I don't know the proper name for it)

One more question for you guys.....how often should a mantis eat? I've heard anywhere from daily to every few days.


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## Rick (Sep 19, 2009)

Nymphs of many species do this until they become adult. I feed mantids every other day. I make sure they keep a plump abdomen. They will probably eat daily if you feed them daily. Some people keep food in with them and others feed on a schedule like me. Find what works best for you.


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## revmdn (Sep 19, 2009)

Nice pics Rick.


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## smittys (Sep 20, 2009)

Thank you for all the info. You have all put my mind at ease


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## Rick (Sep 20, 2009)

smittys said:


> Thank you for all the info. You have all put my mind at ease


You're welcome. I posted those pics so you could see that many species' nymphs curl the abdomen up.


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## Opivy (Sep 21, 2009)

how about curling sideways?

My friends caught me a mantis yesterday (not sure what it is yet, will take a pic and post it soon) and he was fine when I first got him (last night). But today when looking at him, his back end was bent sideways, and almost looked like he was injured.


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## smittys (Sep 21, 2009)

Opivy said:


> how about curling sideways?My friends caught me a mantis yesterday (not sure what it is yet, will take a pic and post it soon) and he was fine when I first got him (last night). But today when looking at him, his back end was bent sideways, and almost looked like he was injured.


Well, my little guy didn't make it. Not sure what happened but I found him dead at the bottom of his cage today.  

I lost my other one a few weeks ago from a bad molt so I'm not sure what happened to this little guy.


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## Katnapper (Sep 21, 2009)

smittys said:


> Well, my little guy didn't make it. Not sure what happened but I found him dead at the bottom of his cage today.  I lost my other one a few weeks ago from a bad molt so I'm not sure what happened to this little guy.


Hmmm... maybe he had just molted in the wild and wasn't ready to be handled yet (too fragile, soft).


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## smittys (Sep 21, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> Hmmm... maybe he had just molted in the wild and wasn't ready to be handled yet (too fragile, soft).


I actually raised him from a baby. I ordered one of those science projects where you get the egg sack and the enclosure. Abot 250 hatched. I let all but 4 go. Two didn't make it at a very young age and then I had the last two in separate cages. One died a couple of weeks ago from a bad molt and the other one was just found this morning on the bottom of his cage dead. Not sure what happened.


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## Katnapper (Sep 21, 2009)

smittys said:


> I actually raised him from a baby. I ordered one of those science projects where you get the egg sack and the enclosure. Abot 250 hatched. I let all but 4 go. Two didn't make it at a very young age and then I had the last two in separate cages. One died a couple of weeks ago from a bad molt and the other one was just found this morning on the bottom of his cage dead. Not sure what happened.


Oh, I see. I mis-read, sorry.


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## smittys (Sep 21, 2009)

Katnapper said:


> Oh, I see. I mis-read, sorry.


I took a closer look at my mantis and noticed 1. he wasn't dead, at least not yet. I picked him up and he moved a tiny bit. He is def. on his way out though. 2. I noticed the tip of his abdomen had a hole in it, almost looks like something was eating away at it

Anyone know what this could be? Can they get some type of mite or parasite that would attack there exoskeleton?


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## jameslongo (Sep 21, 2009)

smittys said:


> I took a closer look at my mantis and noticed 1. he wasn't dead, at least not yet. I picked him up and he moved a tiny bit. He is def. on his way out though. 2. I noticed the tip of his abdomen had a hole in it, almost looks like something was eating away at itAnyone know what this could be? Can they get some type of mite or parasite that would attack there exoskeleton?


Chuck him in the freezer for half hour before examining this hole. Put the poor bugger out of its misery. Do you have a camera mate? Seeing it would help with this discussion. It could very well be part of its anatomy &amp; no cause for concern. If it was inflicted, did you feed it something that could bite back (e.g. crickets) &amp;, if so, was it in the enclosure as the mantid was moulting? You could go as far as eviscerating it (when its well &amp; truly dead) to see if it had parasites but I'd wait for other suggestions before going ahead with that extreme measure.

James.


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## Ntsees (Sep 21, 2009)

If your mantid was a Chinese mantid, then it shouldn't curve it's abdomen. It is true that some mantids curve their abdomen as explained above but you have to know which mantids do that. For those that don't, for instance like your mantid, if they have the curved abdomen then something's wrong. This year, I've had a case just like how you explained. I had a mantid who's abdomen was bent and I knew something was wrong because it isn't typical for the mantid I keep to do that. It died a few days later.


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## smittys (Sep 21, 2009)

Ntsees said:


> If your mantid was a Chinese mantid, then it shouldn't curve it's abdomen. It is true that some mantids curve their abdomen as explained above but you have to know which mantids do that. For those that don't, for instance like your mantid, if they have the curved abdomen then something's wrong. This year, I've had a case just like how you explained. I had a mantid who's abdomen was bent and I knew something was wrong because it isn't typical for the mantid I keep to do that. It died a few days later.


Ok that makes more sense to me now. I just wish I knew what happened to him. He was nice and plump, I misted him every other day and he was eating very well. Then the bent abdomen and lack of appetite. He would seem fine one day and then the next wouldn't move. I thought he was getting ready for another molt but I guess there was something more serious going on.


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## Rick (Sep 21, 2009)

Ntsees said:


> If your mantid was a Chinese mantid, then it shouldn't curve it's abdomen. It is true that some mantids curve their abdomen as explained above but you have to know which mantids do that. For those that don't, for instance like your mantid, if they have the curved abdomen then something's wrong. This year, I've had a case just like how you explained. I had a mantid who's abdomen was bent and I knew something was wrong because it isn't typical for the mantid I keep to do that. It died a few days later.


The bent abdomen problem on chinese has been discussed here many times. I have had it myself but it rarely seems to result in death.


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## Ntsees (Sep 21, 2009)

Rick said:


> The bent abdomen problem on chinese has been discussed here many times. I have had it myself but it rarely seems to result in death.


Yeah, that might be true, but what I was trying to say was that if the mantid acted/looked different from the norm of that species, then I count it as something's wrong whether it lives or not. Interesting, I'm going to have to go and read the discussions on the bent abdomen problems.


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## smittys (Sep 21, 2009)

Rick said:


> The bent abdomen problem on chinese has been discussed here many times. I have had it myself but it rarely seems to result in death.


I guess my little guy was just one of the unfortunates.


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## smittys (Sep 21, 2009)

jameslongo said:


> Chuck him in the freezer for half hour before examining this hole. Put the poor bugger out of its misery. Do you have a camera mate? Seeing it would help with this discussion. It could very well be part of its anatomy &amp; no cause for concern. If it was inflicted, did you feed it something that could bite back (e.g. crickets) &amp;, if so, was it in the enclosure as the mantid was moulting? You could go as far as eviscerating it (when its well &amp; truly dead) to see if it had parasites but I'd wait for other suggestions before going ahead with that extreme measure.James.


I did put him in the freezer. I wish it didn't have to end it the same way my other one did. The freezer is becoming more of a morgue than anything else.

I would like to post a pic but the past few times I've tried the site wouldn't allow it. Any suggestions on how to post pics on here?


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## Opivy (Sep 21, 2009)

does the freezer kill them?


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## smittys (Sep 21, 2009)

Opivy said:


> does the freezer kill them?


Its kinda like dying by falling asleep and not waking up. I've been told its the most humane thing to do.


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