# Eyes turned black



## csliv36 (Sep 17, 2015)

Hey everyone

Ok I'm kinda freaked out. I didn't have any food left for Paprika, my Chinese adult mantis, so I fed her a cricket from a garden. This cricket was just a big, normal black cricket that are all around my area. This garden is definitely free of chemicals and such. I watched her eat it and everything was fine. I didn't get to see her finish eating it though because I went to work.

I just got home, and now her eyes are jet black! She can definitely still see. She looked right over at me when I peaked in. Her face is sort of greener than before as well. I feel so bad. I hope I didn't mess anything up


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## Salmonsaladsandwich (Sep 17, 2015)

Their eyes turn black at night. Helps them see in the dark, sort of the mantis equivalent of rods and cones. Put her in a well lit room and you might be able to see them turn green again within minutes.


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## csliv36 (Sep 17, 2015)

Yeah I knew they got darker at night, I didn't realize they got black like that though. I had a dim light on. But I just kept the brighter lights on for a bit and they're going back to normal. I'm glad everything is normal! Haha thanks for helping!


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## LAME (Sep 18, 2015)

That's one of my favorite features of the Chinese lol. Gotta love those big I'm black eyes


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## Sticky (Sep 18, 2015)

I love the black eyes! Other kinds of mantid's eyes turn different colors. Some turn red, stay green and so on.

What other types of colors do other kinds of mantids eyes turn?


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## csliv36 (Sep 18, 2015)

Haha you guys are right. My boyfriend and I agreed that it made her look even more bad hahhaa. It was my first time seeing them that black! I can't believe I didn't see it before.

That's so cool that other species eyes change different colors.


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## Bloodtkr (Sep 18, 2015)

One of my orchids uesd to get bright red eyes...it looked evil ; )


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## csliv36 (Sep 18, 2015)

Bloodtkr said:


> One of my orchids uesd to get bright red eyes...it looked evil ; )


Haha wow! That's awesome. I now feel dumb for being worried about her


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## Bloodtkr (Sep 18, 2015)

no dont i had a giant australian that one eye turned black...she died not too much longer. Doesnt hurt to question anything ; )


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## Deacon (Oct 14, 2015)

I understand about the T. sinensis having black eyes during the night. But this week, my male first had one eye stay black all the time and now both are black 24/7. I added black shelf liner to his cage as he is missing a tibia (just a one inch band around his cage to help him climb, and I covered most of the cage top.) It's very soft so shouldn't have injured his eyes. Many on the forum have recommended this liner---should I have used white?

Do constant black eyes mean he can't see? He's thirteen weeks old.


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## CosbyArt (Oct 14, 2015)

Deacon said:


> I understand about the T. sinensis having black eyes during the night. But this week, my male first had one eye stay black all the time and now both are black 24/7. I added black shelf liner to his cage as he is missing a tibia (just a one inch band around his cage to help him climb, and I covered most of the cage top.) It's very soft so shouldn't have injured his eyes. Many on the forum have recommended this liner---should I have used white?
> 
> Do constant black eyes mean he can't see? He's thirteen weeks old.


Color has no effect on that. Without a photo it is hard to say, but if it is always black it is likely from rubbing. They tend to rub the sides of a container just as much as the top - and if they get spastic rubbing, then any material will do it.

As long as the mantis can still catch and eat prey then it is nothing to worry about. Most often seems to be more cosmetic than anything.


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## Gizmo (Oct 15, 2015)

Salmonsaladsandwich said:


> Their eyes turn black at night. Helps them see in the dark, sort of the mantis equivalent of rods and cones. Put her in a well lit room and you might be able to see them turn green again within minutes.


Does this apply across the board with all types?


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## KevinsWither (Oct 15, 2015)

Some of them turn red. When that happens, I think of "alien monster movies." Watch zeFranks true facts about the praying mantis.


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