# help!! dragging abdomen and losing grip!! eating wrong??



## Starving Always (Mar 3, 2016)

my twig mantis (3 legged) has been on the low low recently. it has been on the bottom of the enclosure laying to the side. i tried to move it with a stick only to find it dragging its abdomen and its grip weakening. anyone know whats happening? maybe she ate something wrong?  cause her abdomen seems to be pulsing 0:  please, i wanna be able to have her molt the next stage so that she is perfectly normal, thanks.

ps. currentl........ (as i was trying to finish what i was going to say something miraculously happened!! read below)

GUYS!! AS I WAS TRYING TO FINISH THE POST, I LOOKED BACK AT HER. (she was near a lamp for extra heat because i thought she needed help with digesting. and so i guessed that if heat could help mature them faster, i thought it would help it poop faster) WHAT I SAW AT FIRST GLANCE, WAS HER JUST LAYING LIKE SHE WAS ON THE FLOOR ON ONE SIDE OF THE ENCLOSURE... I DIDNT REMEMBER HER BEING SO LONG!! THEN I TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AND REALIZED SHE HAD A MISMOLT. SHE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MOLTING AND I DIDNT KNOW :C

at first, i thought she was dead and hopeless, cause she looked so lifeless. but then even if it did, i had to make sure... so quickly, i used my fingers to try to pick her up but i couldnt reach XD. so i grabbed my tweezers and got her by the end (abdomen). i wasnt careful at all at not squishing her abdomen. i had so much andrenaline i couldnt stop to see if i crushed her butt-hole. hopefully, i just grabbed the exoskeleton... i then waited to see if there was still JUST a slight chance of it continuing to molt. GUESS WHAT? It slid out its arms!!! and as soon as i noticed, i was SUPER RELIEVED. I have never been more relieved in my entire life. i didnt think i would catch her mismolt this soon? luckily i did!!! i was instantly so joyous and even told my mom what was currently happening. she didnt seem to care, but my happiness. i continued to hold it with the tweezers i always had beside me, and every minute watching it progressively finish was worth the time. i forgot to mention, the leg has been regenerated!! its short and small compared to the other legs, so i thought that was funny XD. as im still typing, its STILL currently molting. the legs and arms have quickly been out, but its just the abdomen shes having problems with. i think she may be stuck :-( ive tried offering a stick for her  to pull out herself, but that didnt seem to work. i also noticed that she isnt trying to get out itself. shes literally forzen for some reason. its been maybe 30 minutes. how should i help her in any way? i hope she makes this out alive. 

ANOTHER UPDATE: about some time later, i offered my hand again in case she wanted to pull out. at first, she wasnt interested but had her front legs (not raptorial claws) on my thumb, then i gently touched her back legs and/or her (still stuck) abdomen and suddenly, she began to wiggle and slide past my hand and SHE FINALLY CAME!!!! there was a rush of proudness and i was just so relieved!!! i guess she did need a hand LOL. anways, as she was crawling on my hand... i quickly examined her to see if anything went wrong. everything was fine, except... she is still limpy and has no  or little grip ON HER LEFT SIDE. i was deeply dissappointed, but also grateful for everything she's done. the other side is fine. i hope she gets better. i plan to hand-feed her until the next molt, and hopefully, she'll be more strong. Its weird cause i thought, that molting would fix everything or better yet, improve. Leave me some comments on what you think about this and how i can help the limpy female. Cheers, everyone!! =)  1:37AM


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## Extrememantid (Mar 3, 2016)

Lucky you found her in time. I was going to say right as I was reading the first part that it sounds like she's about to moult, but then you figured that out haha.


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## Starving Always (Mar 3, 2016)

Extrememantid said:


> Lucky you found her in time. I was going to say right as I was reading the first part that it sounds like she's about to moult, but then you figured that out haha.


yes i got SUPER LUCKY!! i didnt think mantids would react this way before molting 0: usually, when i see this: dragging abdomen, loosen grip, i think about the mantis having its last few breaths. idk, i just felt like a hero. finally experiencing something, not exciting, but scary and serious.


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## CosbyArt (Mar 3, 2016)

Glad she is still alive, and hopefully when her new exoskeleton hardens her left side will be more normal. Great to hear you were able to help her, which is amazing as it typically is of little to no help.





Best of luck with her next molt!


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## Savechanges (Mar 3, 2016)

great job!! I have had to hold several mantises while they molt!! sometimes they just fall in their man made environments. I wonder how many mantises mismolt in the wild?


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## Starving Always (Mar 3, 2016)

Thanks guys! I'll let you know if her left side is fine. I feel so proud and responsible


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## Krissim Klaw (Mar 3, 2016)

Congrats on the quick thinking. As for the seemingly stuck abdomen, that is normal to a point. Often they will hang by the end of their abdomen for a while to give their legs time to harden before emerging fully from the exoskeleton and switching back to their legs.


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## Starving Always (Mar 3, 2016)

Krissim Klaw said:


> Congrats on the quick thinking. As for the seemingly stuck abdomen, that is normal to a point. Often they will hang by the end of their abdomen for a while to give their legs time to harden before emerging fully from the exoskeleton and switching back to their legs.


Ahhh yes, I see. Thanks for letting me know!!


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## Sticky (Mar 4, 2016)

Savechanges said:


> great job!! I have had to hold several mantises while they molt!! sometimes they just fall in their man made environments. I wonder how many mantises mismolt in the wild?
> 
> View attachment 7049


What is that!? Its so beautiful!


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## CosbyArt (Mar 4, 2016)

Sticky said:


> What is that!? Its so beautiful!


A huge image in their signature I assume, as it has nothing to do with their post.

It is a mathematical spiral, and some have fancy names. There is software you can get that will create them at random, or with math input on your PC. You can see more like it here. In the 80s that had a cheap plastic gear toy with a pencil placed in it, the toy would draw them for you automatically depending on the settings chose. Or do it with plastic gears yourself manually with a Spirograph.


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## Sticky (Mar 4, 2016)

I had Spirograph when I was little! I loooooved it! It kept me busy for hours.Thank you.


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## CosbyArt (Mar 5, 2016)

Sticky said:


> I had Spirograph when I was little! I loooooved it! It kept me busy for hours.Thank you.


I did too, and that automatic one which used two AA batteries (I don't remember what it was called). I think I have one somewhere still, and my niece does in her stuff downstairs (she visits a lot).

There are many options out there now, and no reason you can't get one for yourself too - after all being a adult just means more expensive toys.  The PC software would be good for desktop wallpaper or printing out.

Not sure if your running Mac, Windows, Linux, or what not so here are some links to get you started...


Linux opensource spiral creator

Online spiral generator (creates random ones or from changing the settings)

List of fractal software (different but similar)

Or do a search for spiral generator for lots more.


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## intheabyss (Mar 5, 2016)

I'm so happy to hear that you were able to help her! I hope she'll be OK    

The tiny new leg is also awesome hahaha


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## Starving Always (Mar 7, 2016)

she is doing much better now!! i don't think she'll be limping to the side anymore  i guess she just needed to harden, thats all.


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## CosbyArt (Mar 7, 2016)

Starving Always said:


> she is doing much better now!! i don't think she'll be limping to the side anymore  i guess she just needed to harden, thats all.


Glad to hear she is doing better.  

Indeed after allowing them to fully harden, and adjust to the new growth (and any problems), it is amazing what they can pull through. I've had some I thought I would have to humanely freeze, but I gave them some time just in case, and most pull through.


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