# Look Ma, no hands



## hibiscusmile

The girls were not nice to this little guy, now am torn between the freezer and feeding him for the rest of his life....... what to do, what to do..... :huh: 

Here he is drinking water drops off a lid and here is his dinner table....


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## dgerndt

The big question is: is he happy? If he can't climb and act like a normal mantis, I might go with the freezer. But ultimately, it's up to you.


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## hibiscusmile

He was on my hospital plant which is setting on the aquarium he is on, the lights keep the top really warm, and he climbed down and lays on the cloth, does not sit, he lays on it, and this morning since it was so cold here, he climbed back onto the plant.


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## dgerndt

Well, it looks like he's got another molt to go before adulthood, so I suggest keeping him hand-fed and hope that his next molt will fix his poor arms.


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## animalexplorer

I have one male idol mantid missing an arm since the day I got him and it never grew back. I was under the impression if a mantid lost a limb that it would regenerate a new one when it molted. So is that a myth? and I just have a mantid thats somewhat short changed on the genetics. I still love the little bastard though, he just finished his last molt.


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## hibiscusmile

They won't grow back, to much gone.


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## hibiscusmile

They won't grow back, to much gone.


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## Findarato

animalexplorer said:


> I have one male idol mantid missing an arm since the day I got him and it never grew back. I was under the impression if a mantid lost a limb that it would regenerate a new one when it molted. So is that a myth?


I too have a mantis which had one arm missing from a mismolt, but as it happened at L3 and he is now L6, his arm has grown back, gradually with each molt. He could catch food with his other arm always. If your mantis never grew an arm, it might be from the beginning and have some genetic reason (like people or animals who are born missing limbs - just my speculation)

Hibiscusmile: I agree it is probably too damaged to repair itself in one molt. If he eats with appetite and stays active, I would perhaps hand feed him. but as it was already said, it is up to you.


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## hibiscusmile

Yea, he is a sweetie, just the way he sits on the heat :wub: , an if he had more molts, his arms would stand a chance, but with just one, it ain't gonna happen.


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## animalexplorer

The arm was pretty much gone all the way from the base of the thorax on mine. Can all species of mantids regenerate? My favorite animal when it comes to regenerating is the axolotl, if they lose a limb, part of their jaw and eye, it grows back. Kind of like Marvel's super hero character Wolverine.


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## Ntsees

animalexplorer said:


> Can all species of mantids regenerate?


They can regenerate, but it depends on the amount of damage and also the number of molts left. Like what Hibiscusmile said, the mantid won't be able to regenerate the forelegs since it has about 1 molt left. But even then, it'll still make a fine breeding specimen (if the female is receptive of course).


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## hibiscusmile

Here he is, btw, named him, little heat! toasting his knickers or whats left of them.... :lol: this is why I love him, never seen one hunker down on the heat before. so comfey!


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## [email protected]

That is so sad! Poor guy! If it were me I'd keep him alive, but I'm very soft hearted.


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## hibiscusmile

me too, and just thinking about the freezer when he likes the heat, well I just can't do it. :blink:


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## dgerndt

I think that's a good decision to keep him.  He'll be your special little guy.


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## lancaster1313

He is too cute, :wub: I have never been able to give up on an injured creature. I'm glad that you have decided to keep him.  I still have an _Anolis equestris_ that I found with a smashed head a few months ago. I am surprised that it lived past a few days but now it looks pretty good, but with only one eye. I have to hand feed it every time, because it just can't or won't catch the prey I have put in with it. I have found out that they can live for 16 years, so I might have alot of hand feeding ahead of me,  but its my buddy now. ^_^


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## cuervo

Please don`t freeze him :no: . He is cool i like him,if he becomes too much let me know i will help love to hand feed :lol: .


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## hibiscusmile

I am not going to freeze him, he is precious, I would give to you if you need him, but he is also ok here with me. I have been talking to him and he is learning that when I come by, he is going to eat, I must look like a big fly :lol: I found out that if I spray to close to him , that he wants to wipe his little head, and of course he cannot, so tongith I took a napkin and let him rub his head on it. too cute :lol:


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## lancaster1313

It sounds like he is getting plenty of TLC with you.


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## dgerndt

Aw, how sweet! This is why I love mantids so much. They have so much personality.


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## PragmaticHominid

Aw, it's so good of you to take care of the little guy.

And thank you so much for sharing the "dinner table" idea! I've got an L2 Deroplatys Lobata who's raptoral arms got a little twisted up in his last molt. I'm fairly sure he'll come out better next time he molts, so I've been handing him meal worms, but it's sort of a pain because he keeps dropping them. I bet things will be a lot easier for both of us if I give him a little table to rest his food on. XD


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## cuervo

hibiscusmile said:


> I am not going to freeze him, he is precious, I would give to you if you need him, but he is also ok here with me. I have been talking to him and he is learning that when I come by, he is going to eat, I must look like a big fly :lol: I found out that if I spray to close to him , that he wants to wipe his little head, and of course he cannot, so tongith I took a napkin and let him rub his head on it. too cute :lol:


I see you are becoming the mantis whisperer.I have a question how do i train my ghost to fetch? :clown:


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## hibiscusmile

I went in the other night to get something, turned on the lights and he was on top of his plant ! He climbs up there to sleep, it must be instinct that makes them go somewhere high at night.


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## lancaster1313

I am glad to see that he can get around well enough.


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## hibiscusmile

He was being bad today, I caught him lurking on the orchid mantis houses, I could tell he was causing trouble, as the way he was peering in at her, she screamed at the top of her lungs yelling " peeping tom" :lol:


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## JoeCapricorn

The raised surface feeding method will work fine. I had to do that after Jasper mismolted, almost completely disfigured but I tried to keep her alive. I just can't bring myself to put a creature out if I had raised it for so long.

Right now I kinda have to do something like this for Angus. Her forearms are slowly degenerating and she is getting old. She at first was stubborn about eating but has learned to eat much better. She can grab food but she cannot catch anything and she doesn't keep a grip that well.


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## hibiscusmile

Little Heat is such a caracter, I suddenly have a female adult mated budwing who also lost her arms, hummm, wonder if they were in a car accident? :blink: 






here they are sitting on the blankie together, but I put her in her own little house so she can have a place to lay her ooths, and today, he was on her house and noticed her, he has been here looking at her for hours, with his eyeballs stuck to the plastic and won't move. :lol: 




Is that funny or what? :lol:


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## lancaster1313

:wub: That is cute!


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## dgerndt

Hee hee, Little Heat is a major peeping Tom! :lol: My Chinese used to stalk my other mantids across from his enclosure.


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## hibiscusmile

I was feeding them tonight (btw) if that photo don't make you laugh, go have yourself checked by a doctor! feeding them tonight, I noticed little heat will look for his worm if dropped and even stay down eating it, the budwing, won't. I have to stand there with her.... while he is so cute, I never thought they would snoop around for the food, but he has learned to do it. stinkin babies! :tt2:


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## Katnapper

Loved this thread and story, Rebecca! Him looking at her with his eyeballs right up against the plastic for hours is just toooo funny!


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## dgerndt

Yeah, those Chinese are a hungry bunch.  I'm going to have to get myself some more soon.


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## hibiscusmile

I know, every time I see the pic I chuckle to my self, I made it my wallpaper on the pc. I could see it if he was just looking in, but no, he has his eyeballs right on the plastic :lol: What a loon! today he is looking at her and she is looking at him, reminds me of this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubjqQSOsVCg&amp;feature=related


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## momaearth

OMG! He's too cute! We always want the wounded ones, huh?

Xoxox


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## cuervo

I love that guy he is too much :clap:


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## hibiscusmile

He was on the floor this morning, I almost stepped on him, he had a little cobweb on his antenna, so I wiped it off!


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## dgerndt

hibiscusmile said:


> He was on the floor this morning, I almost stepped on him, he had a little cobweb on his antenna, so I wiped it off!


Aw, he was just doing some spring cleaning for you!


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## hibiscusmile

He's a stinker! :lol:


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## Krissim Klaw

So adorable I can't believe I didn't see this thread sooner. I love the picture of him peeping in the enclosure.

I'm glad you kept him but of course you would already know that would be my vote. Even though the injured ones can be a bit more work they sure make up for it. I would never trade the time I had with my little special needs girl Hocus Pocus.


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## hibiscusmile

He is precious! I love looking at the pic on my pc every morning. :lol:


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## Krissim Klaw

Careful, I might just sneak into the Bugatorium and steal him away one day when your not looking.


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## hibiscusmile

Oh! My! :blink: :lol:


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## hibiscusmile

Update on little heat! He molted this weekend and really did not do real good, but today he was looking around at the girls above him and ate a cricket, I made the little meat hanger :lol: with a piece of plastic and a toothpick glued to it, both Little heat and the lady Bud, had a roast cricket dinner today off of them. Sometimes U just gotta have take out! :tt2:


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## warpdrive

take out? sounds like delivery to me, the spoiled brat. :lol: 

Harry


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## MantidLord

Wow, I wonder if he could actually reproduce like that. Love the updates.


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## hibiscusmile

He is looking at the girl above him, which just happens to be chinese too, so by the weekend I think they will try something.... :lol:


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## hibiscusmile

ps, he is so cute, always looking at some one!


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## Marianna

hibiscusmile said:


> Update on little heat! He molted this weekend and really did not do real good, but today he was looking around at the girls above him and ate a cricket, I made the little meat hanger :lol: with a piece of plastic and a toothpick glued to it, both Little heat and the lady Bud, had a roast cricket dinner today off of them. Sometimes U just gotta have take out! :tt2:


There truly is a whole other world out there that I knew nothing about!!! I am sitting here just amazed at these little creatures !!


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## hibiscusmile

Aren't they amazing? I still marvel at them, and I see them each day, always a joy to work with them, even the ones that make me sad.!


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## dgerndt

Aw, he's such a curious little sweetie! Chinese are definitely one of my favorites.  I'm glad to see all these updates. I hope you continue to keep us posted!


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## hibiscusmile

WEll been feeding Little heat and his friend, lady bud, and could not figure out why he is eating so much, finally deciede to turn him over and look, and he turned into a she! hahahah :lol: with the crinckled wings u really can't see his belly! So thats why she is eating so much, but Look, once an indian name, always an indian name, still little heat! :lol: Gotta be careful though, once his, mean her food is gone from the toothpick, she chews on it....


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## Krissim Klaw

Don't worry, I do that all the time when naming them young and its hard to tell. Merlin my boy turned out being a girl, but oh well, I always thought Merlin was a very girly name anyways.


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## hibiscusmile

yea, but he was or she was sub adult, I guess I just thought it was a boy, cause i t had no arms... poor thing! :blink: I love my babies! :lol:


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## MantidLord

Look at it this way, it may be even easier for you to breed Heat now that it's a female. It doesn't need the arms to clasp onto females like males do.


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## hibiscusmile

yea, and cause they don't hold their babies, I don't have to feel bad she can't pick them up!


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## dgerndt

And you don't have to worry about her eating a male! She can't hold onto him, so he can escape!


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## hibiscusmile

I don't know about that, I put one on the lid with her, and she was after him with her head, kept head butting him, so I put him away! :lol:


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## dgerndt

:lol: Better wait a few more days before you try that again!


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## Krissim Klaw

I hate to say it but with the way she is always gazing at the other girlies, I don't think she is into stinky old men.


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## hibiscusmile

Oh my! what a world, what a world... (old witch of the west) :lol:


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## JoeCapricorn

One of my dead-leaf mantises has a problem with their arms for some reason, neither of them can be used, so I have to basically feed her like you do with Little Heat.

Hopefully a few molts will fix her arms, she is third instar.


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## hibiscusmile

Well you have hope then, let us know if it does!


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## hibiscusmile

I think this is the marbled mantis, and she is missing an arm, I call her little sweetie, she is doing good, she can hold a bb if I give it to her, they sure do love laying around on the aquarium top, when she is done eating, she lays her little head down and sleeps! :lol: I lov her :wacko: :wub:


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## hibiscusmile

Oh poopie, I forgot to add photo! :tt2: &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;


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## Krissim Klaw

I'm beginning to think your mantises are just chewing their own claws off so they can be pampered by you. :tt2:


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## hibiscusmile

as Mrs Doubtfire would say.... "oh you wicked wicked girl" :tt2:


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## MantidLord

What happened to Heat?


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## hibiscusmile

She is still here, waiting for her and friend to mate, nothing happening yet!


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## hibiscusmile

Little heat is laying an ooth, I feel so bad for her, and I think I am a bit depressed, cause I just want to cry when I Look at her. Yesterday she really wasn't interested in eating, just wanted to wander away, and I have been putting her in her house, cause at night, she roams around and knocks the other girls containers on the floor! bad girl!


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## psyconiko

Poor thing...I really feel sorry for you,for her.


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## Ricardo

DON'T FREEZE HIM

Nurturing injured creatures can be rewarding! I remember when I was up in the caribou and I found a dragonfly who was flightless. I fed him grass and veggies for a week and somehow he managed to fly after.

I know your mantis is to far gone but he should have every right to live out his life and be happy as possible.

What a trooper!


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## MantidLord

So was she mated?


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## hibiscusmile

I couldn't freeze her now. no worry. she has been with a male, but don't know if mated.

When I cked on her, she was done with ooth, I gave her some water and she drank and drank, then I gave her some dinner and she was hungry. She is funny, lately she has been butting me with her head!


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## dgerndt

Aw! Maybe it's her way of saying "thank you for taking care of me".


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## hibiscusmile

Could be, but I think she is telling me, NO , to going inher house


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## dgerndt

That's possible, too. :lol:


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## MantidLord

Whatever happened to poor Heat?


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## hibiscusmile

Well about 3 weeks ago, she became lethargic and it was time for her to go, she did not move much and I sent her to the n. pole, it was hard, but had to be done.  she is my wallpaper so I get to see her everyday, never be another with her personallity that's for sure!


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## dgerndt

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that she passed.


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## MantidLord

I'm sorry to hear that too. How many ooths did she lay? Hopefully her legacy will live on.


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## kmsgameboy

Aw poor little guy. I think if it were me I would hand feed him. I know if I was him I wouldnt want to face the freezer. There is one more choice however.... WE CAN REBUILD HIM! 6 million dollar mantis anyone?


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## MantidLord

kmsgameboy said:


> Aw poor little guy. I think if it were me I would hand feed him. I know if I was him I wouldnt want to face the freezer. There is one more choice however.... WE CAN REBUILD HIM! 6 million dollar mantis anyone?


Pst! It was a she


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## hibiscusmile

Thanks guys, she only laid one and it has not hatched so maybe she did not mate, had a male with her, but she always gave him that " I SEE YOU " look :lol: so he may of stayed away! haha, she was a hoot!


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## Findarato

Sad to her of her passing. It is always different with those mantids who need our special care. But at least you could keep her alive for some weeks (or months) after she lost her arms.


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## hibiscusmile

yea, she actually molted to adult when I found her with no arms, so she lived about 3 weeks as sub adult and then a couple months as adult, she just couldn't lay another ooth, she only had one and that is why I think she went when she did, as she got so heavy it was hard for her to get around, hummm, who is making a hoverround for cripled mantis?


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## Hullswife

This was such a sweet story. Even though I am new here, I can tell that we are going to very alike; I am so attached to my girl even though it has only been a month that I have a feeling that I would do the same thing. Thanks so much for sharing your story.


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## hibiscusmile

You are welcome!


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## Survivor7

This is a wonderful story, great pictures too. Little Heat will be missed


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## Krissim Klaw

Aww, I miss she passed. She was such a delightful little girl and it feels my heart with warmth whenever I think of her story. I still love that one photo of her peering so intently in the cage.


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## hibiscusmile

I do too!


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## nebrakacinese

I think it shows how loving mantids can be.


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## MandellaMandy123

Aww.... What a sweet little thing!


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## Meadow98684

This is my first time seeing this story...and it needs to resurface a little...as a screenwriter, I believe this whole story of you and Heat would make a great film. A touching film. This is the most heartbreaking story I've read about a mantis. Those pictures of Heat are adorable! Especially the one of her looking into the other cage.


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## hibiscusmile

Isn't it! She really had a personally to beat all, I use it at a screen saver and she makes me smile when I am sad!


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## mutrok4040

So sad that she passed! She was soo cute!


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## stacy

Touching story, so glad I was able to read about her


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## agent A

i think every year we r gonna have a miraculous story

last year was this, once we had a ghost mantis eating even though it was half eaten, now it's the washing machine mantis

next thing u know someone is gonna cut down a tree with a mantis on it and throw it in a woodchipper and save a mutilated thing or somethin, what's next? we will soon find out


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## hibiscusmile

gee, I hope you r not rite! imagine it! Wonder boy predicts future! :tt2:


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## nebrakacinese

If you love him,I think,most humbly,you have answered your question


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## Saebjorn9

Even though they are just insects. I think deep down there is some sort of primal feeling that animals have when they know something kind is being done for them. They communicate it in all sorts of ways. You can definitely look into the eyes of an animal and know they are thankful for all that is done for them. I'm sure your little mantises appreciated all you did to take care of them.


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## hibiscusmile

thanks!


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## Assault Ferret

That's precious! You've got my wife and I gushing over how sweet she was! :wub:


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## hibiscusmile

haha! thanks, you should of seen her eat off that toothpick table!


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## JSaff86

kmsgameboy said:


> Aw poor little guy. I think if it were me I would hand feed him. I know if I was him I wouldnt want to face the freezer. There is one more choice however.... WE CAN REBUILD HIM! 6 million dollar mantis anyone?


 rofl!!!!!! i wonder if it would be possible to make prosthetic arms for it


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## hibiscusmile

Any scientist or docs here! or " Is there a doctor in the house?" lol, member the old movies always asked that question!


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## CosbyArt

I know it's a old thread, sorry to revive it (not sure how people feel about that here) but couldn't resist. Especially this story, I apologize if this upsets you hibiscusmile.



hibiscusmile said:


> I couldn't freeze her now. no worry. she has been with a male, but don't know if mated.
> 
> When I cked on her, she was done with ooth, I gave her some water and she drank and drank, then I gave her some dinner and she was hungry. She is funny, lately she has been butting me with her head!


Thanks for the heart-warming story and the effort you did for Little heat, makes me have hope in this often forsaken world! I read nearly every post on all 6 pages, sorry to see how it ended.

I'll have to share this with my wife later - she doesn't seem much into "bugs" but seems to have a strong connection with my mantis and was emotional with another story I found on here and shared with her. I think I'll be upset when my mantis Susanna passes more because of how hard she will take it. Anyway, I know she'll love to hear this story though.  

I responded to this post in particular as I haven't seen anyone else mention the mantis head-butting besides me. I thought I was a bit crazy, but without a doubt she head butts me anytime I put my hand beside her trying to pick her up. :hammer: Is this a common trait or a unique one, the head butting?


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## Sticky

I love this story! I have not seen head butting in my mantids.


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## hibiscusmile

haha, no it does not upset me. I like thinking about her as she made my day many times! I don't see much head butting, but I don't really have time to see it either. She was special I tell you that!


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## Krissim Klaw

hibiscusmile said:


> haha, no it does not upset me. I like thinking about her as she made my day many times! I don't see much head butting, but I don't really have time to see it either. She was special I tell you that!


I still think of this story whenever I am dealing with one of my special needs mantises. One of my current girls Grimoire suffered a fall during a molt a few weeks back right at the end of her shedding. Her body made it out fine but by the time I found her, her legs had already started to dry in a very warped positions. She had also lost one of her back legs. Through some quick misting and use of a toothpick I was able to pop out the other three but they were super funky and had very sharp kinks in two of them. I wasn't even sure she would be able to slide them out of the skin if she was able to hang on long enough to even molt.

Well a few days ago she shed. She ended up loosing one of her remaining three legs, but the other two came out great and she even got a mini leg in place of her old nub. Her next shedding will still be a bit of a nail biter but she has gone from being a belly dragger that can barely get around to being able to stand up like a normal mantis and putter around pretty decently.

It always seems like it is the ones with issues that tug hardest on the heart strings. She is such a silly girl too. If she is hungry she will randomly catch up some of her blanket or netting and start to nibble on it like she is some poor starving mantis that has never seen food. I'm beginning to think the little stinker does it because she knows if I see her doing it I will give her some actual food to get her to stop. Such a little manipulative glutton.


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## hibiscusmile

great story, I think u r right. sometime I think God got tired of all His creations and made the mantis to confuse us!


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