# Black liquid



## swoosh (Jul 10, 2007)

Last monday my friend gave me a Local mantis about 2 cm in length. It was green in color and some black stripes in its leg and body. So immediately start to feed it with pinhead cricket (house cricket to be precise) about 1cm. The mantis chase the cricket as soon as I toss it in the enclosure.

The mantis was inverted when he eats his food (head down). So I was staring at him until he consume half of the cricket. Surprisingly when I start to move, I noticed that he stops from eating and immediately look at me. Then black liquid coming from end of its esophagus (sorry I dont know the term) rush down to his neck before his head. Then suddenly it goes up again and resume his meal.

My friend told me that it is newly molted the day before he gave it to me.

Im wondering what is that black liquid in his esophagus.

Do you guys have any idea?

Thanks


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## Kriss (Jul 10, 2007)

Sounds like the black liguid was the cricket you were feeding him.

You could see the food passing through the mantid.

Nothing to worry about. :wink:


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## Asa (Jul 10, 2007)

No problem. Sometimes they 'go' while eating.


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## jarek (Jul 10, 2007)

when I noticed first time I thought the mantis was going to through out


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## Asa (Jul 10, 2007)

It does look quite weird.


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## colddigger (Jul 10, 2007)

my male african did that after i force fed it 25 mosquito larvae

it started puking

and died a week later

now i need to get a new one


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## Asa (Jul 10, 2007)

Why did you force feed it?


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## Birdfly (Jul 10, 2007)

How did you force feed it :?:


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## Rick (Jul 10, 2007)

Are you talking about the black stuff that you can see inside the mantis moving back and forth? If so thats the food moving. It's normal.


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## Ian (Jul 11, 2007)

You can see this in species with very thin necks, such as the Gongylus. I believe it is just the food going down.


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## swoosh (Jul 11, 2007)

Thanks a lot guys!


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## Asa (Jul 11, 2007)

Welcome


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## OGIGA (Jul 12, 2007)

The first time I saw that, I thought my mantis was going to die! But it turned out okay. I still think it's weird.


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