# Housing an accident prone injured mantis



## Malakyoma (Jan 16, 2013)

Hey everyone. My polyspilota aeruginosa female came to me not in the greatest shape. since day one she's had a hard time using some of her legs. Recently its gotten worse and she's actually fallen a couple times. Thankfully her injuries havent been serious, some bruises and a missing tarsil, but it makes me really worried about her. She desnt walk so much as drag herself across things, and has a hard time climbing her furniture. It's like she's getting really old but she's only 2 months adult or so. only 2 ooths laid.

I love her to death which is why I come to you for advice: How should I build a special enclosure for her to minimize injuries and maximize ease of movement? I don't want her falling far, and when she does I want to have moss at the bottom to cushion the fall. but how to furnish? and how tall should the enclosure be? Has to be tall enough for her to move around but short enough that a fall isnt serious. She's about 8cm long and fat.

Here's a picture of her trying to climb up my face as I type this lol


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## Malakyoma (Jan 16, 2013)

Dr. Digger I'd very much like to hear how Nikki is housed.


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## aychen222 (Jan 16, 2013)

I haven't had to deal with an old or injured mantis, but I have noticed with one of my enclosures that feeder insects that I knock off the ceiling almost never fall all the way to the bottom because of how the sponges are placed.

I have recently had to remove some of the sponges to make more space for my growing ghosts, but it was cheap and easy to make. Those sponges are from a dollar store that sold 6 in a pack. And again, this is an idea I stole from Sporeworld who had constructed a safe enclosure for nymphs.


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## Digger (Jan 16, 2013)

Hi Mal,

At least with this situation, I think you came to the right place. Nikki Mantis has been in the same condition for nearly two months; simply the result of very advanced age. You may not like my solution but I handle this like you would any invalid.

Except for her two functioning raptorials, she has lost all her tarsi and one half (tibia) a leg. As a result, unless she can grab something with her front claws, she slides off any flat surface like it's ice. She's taken a number of dangerous falls, but, thankfully, sustained no injuries.

When I keep her in her terrarium, the primary resting surface is a piece of cardboard wrapped tightly with 1 sheet of fiberglass screen. She can easily pull herself up using the screen. Even there, however, if both raptor claws come off the screen for some reason, she falls like a rock to the cage bottom. Sooo, the cage botton has a bundled cotton cloth to gently break any fall. When she's out of the terrarium, I bundle a cotton T shirt with little climbing peaks so she can pull herself up with the raptors. T shirt fabric works very well as a grabbing surface and soft landing for falls.

Feeding: Nikki really can't chase after crix. Her legs just slide, so she looks like a stationary swimmer. So I put her in a clean, dry bathroon sink (which is slightly bowl-shaped. This makes the crix move a lot since it's trying to navigate the slick porcelain surface - and just slides down to Nikki. Or -- I put the mantis in an empty critter cage (if there is one) and that works too.

Carrying: She will slide off my arm or hand. So I put her on the t shirt as a "table" when moving her. Like yours, Nikki is fat and when her abdomen shifts quickly I can lose her to a fall in an instant.

Yes - it's a lot of effort, but she's worth it!

---- Digger


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## Digger (Jan 16, 2013)

One other thing, Mal. And I'm sure you're aware of this. I am absolutely convinced that Nikki remains vital in her extreme age, partly because of careful, vigilant watering. Lots and lots of drinking water. Only distilled. And, although I do mist the cage, I find she really takes quantity when hand watered. I put an eye dropper or misting nozzle right up to her mouth and administer drops. Again, most sane mantid keepers aren't going to do this. But with one pet, it only takes 30 seconds out of the day. Water water water !!


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## agent A (Jan 16, 2013)

when my mantises become like this i house them comfortably in my freezer :devil: 

u can probably keep her in a net cage with plenty of climbable sticks and pieces of carpet liner and paper towels for coushining...


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## Meadow98684 (Jan 16, 2013)

Thats pretty dark agent a lol no...not lol!


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## Digger (Jan 16, 2013)

Hateful, cruel boy!! If you break your foot playing soccer, will your parents lock you in the basement deep freeze??? I had to cover Nikki's eyes so she didn't see your inhuman (ininsect) remark. Oh..........btw - if you don't learn how to spell, it doesn't matter what you get on the PSAT. Can you say-----------------Asnuntuck Community College? :devil: 

Mal, here's Nikki resting after a fitful afternoon (she's been very out-of-sorts - as my grandmother used to say. Contantly moving around, trying to climb and won't finish her crix. Very much the behavior of ooth laying preparation. Little worrisome cause this would be her SIXTH ! and she's got to be pushing 95 in mantid years. Maybe I should drive up to CT and give her to Alex. He could throw her in front of a bus.


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## Malakyoma (Jan 16, 2013)

What size terrarium do you keep nikki in Digger? if she falls how far is it? She's very pretty by the way. And I hope my Marbled female is just getting ready to lay again because she hasn't been eating much either.


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## Digger (Jan 16, 2013)

Ahh! I read her right. She was really going crazy searching for a laying spot and kept sliding or falling off various places. I went just as crazy trying to figure out how to get her an environment she liked. Finally positioned a bunch of stuff in various positions in a critter cage and hoped for the best. And she found a solution. Yay! This is number six for God's sake!


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## Digger (Jan 16, 2013)

Mal - I keep her in the large size (there's small, medium and large). Plenty of room. Her fall is broken by various pieces of furniture and a folded cotton cloth and the bottom.


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## Malakyoma (Jan 17, 2013)

She just drank a lot of water from a straw and actually took some honey. she's had a bit of diarhea recently so I was worried. I replacd the paper towel at the bottom of her enclosure with a soft towel and gave her a cleaning using Qtips and water.


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## agent A (Jan 17, 2013)

Digger said:


> Hateful, cruel boy!! If you break your foot playing soccer, will your parents lock you in the basement deep freeze??? I had to cover Nikki's eyes so she didn't see your inhuman (ininsect) remark. Oh..........btw - if you don't learn how to spell, it doesn't matter what you get on the PSAT. Can you say-----------------Asnuntuck Community College? :devil:


hehe i dont play soccer  

but i love nikki, she's such a nice mantis, unlike some of the one's i've had &lt;_&lt; 

most of my mantises dont end up in the freezer until after they die anyways since it's hard for me to tell if they r actually dieing since some make substantial recoveries and i dont like to end something if it's likely to improve

but i put dead ones in the freezer for preservation purposes

i've had creos in the same situation as malakyoma's mantis and what i find is they often like to grab onto very thin things but these thin things need to be supported by something strong, such as taking those very thin fake flower things and attaching them to a bamboo skewer and letting just a bit hang off, they will put all their weight on the thin plant stuff but will be supported and off the ground


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## Digger (Jan 17, 2013)

True about Nikki, Alex. This mantis is so tame, friendly and domesticated, I'm afraid I'll be way spoiled for anyting else. This creature is scary she's so...human! Maybe the Hindis are right. Mvalenz has shipped me two budwing L3s. If these survive and have a molecule of Nikki's remarkable personality, I'll be happy.


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## Sticky (Jan 17, 2013)

Digger, Would you show us a pic of Nikki's home? That would show us what you are talking about.

When I carry old mantids like Nikki I hold them close and cradle them in my hands so they dont fall.


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## Malakyoma (Jan 18, 2013)

She fell again tonight. Onto the soft towel but theres still a mark and her wings are more crumpled than before. I feel really cheated on her. I got her 3 weeks into adulthood, she should be happy and hearty and healthy and running around grabbing things, not barely being able to hang an inch of the ground. I'm worried she's going to go soon and there's nothing I can do about it. I've hand fed her water, given her honey, tried to see if she wants more substantial food which she turned down. She should have been running around like my griffins are now, able to support their own weight, able to climb wherever they want, able to hunt and eat. For some reason Xena can't and it infuriates me that there's nothing I can do about it but watch her fall, and try my best to clean up. I can only watch her be uninterested in any food and water. I feel so useless to be able to help her. She shouldn't be this way.


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## Sticky (Jan 18, 2013)

Mal, Sticky was almost as bad. He could limb and grab but for some unknown reason he stopped eating his flies and other things I tried to give him.

Then my unckle told me when he was a kid he fed his pet mantids milk. They grew up big and strong. I gave it to Sticky and he lived 5-6 months. A normal life span for a male chinese. Dont forget the beepollen. I think Rebecca sells some.

Your girl needs to be where she cant climb and fall at all.


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## TheraphoMantodea (Feb 1, 2013)

Thats a bummer to hear but I had my first mantid fall during her last molt she messed up her whole one side had to hand feed her and help her move her will power to keep herself alive was amazing she laid one half of an ooth then passed she was one of my most favorite


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