bleeding mantis

[Samzo]

I have been away fri and sat and left my chinese with 1 cricket but she is in a big cage so i thought the mantis would be fine but i got back today (sun) and i took her out. She was happily running around and she had eaten the cricket but i noticed she had a blob of clear stuff and black stuff under her front right arm. I thought it was just substrate cought under her but it is a wound.. will it heal or will it get worse and will she die?

Regards,

Sam

 

[gotmantids]

Crickets can be dangerous; it sounds like the cricket took a bite out of your mantid before it ate the cricket. If the mantid can still use it's forelegs then it'll probably be fine, especially if it's going to molt again.

 

[Samzo]

Ok, thanks for the reply.. i was worried seeing as its my favourite mantis. Ill be alot more careful now and I think its got at least 1 molt left

 

[gotmantids]

That's good; I learned the hard way; I left my one of my mantids alone with a cricket, and when I came back a few hours later, my mantid was headless. :x

 

[Samzo]

Man thats horrible, I hope I never have to witness such an event to any of my pets. Do cuts on mantids heal like a human or does she have to wait till the molt?

 

[gotmantids]

Your mantid has to wait until the molt; mantids can't regenerate anything until they've molted. As long as she can still catch and eat prey, then it'll be fine

 

[Samzo]

Ok, cool cool thanks

 

[Ian]

I have had mantids eaten completley before, and you have to be very careful after they have just shed, as this is when they are most vulnerable.

Cheers,

Ian

 

[Samzo]

Wow that truely does suck. Crickets dont look like they have it in them lol Sorry bout that mantis though :x

 

[Rick]

I have never had an issue with a cricket hurting a mantis but I am sure it can happen and probably did in your case. Your mantis should be fine.

 

[Macano]

Just to second what Rick said, your mantis should be ok. I've had large prey literally bit off an entire eye of my mantids and they still live on like normal. They are amazingly resilient creatures, especially since yours still has a molt left.