cloud jaguar
Well-known member
One thing that really interested me in mantids occurred last year. This is what happened.
By way of background we have a couple of Chihuahua dogs. They are more like their ancestors foxes than like wolves. Basically i really like chi dogs because they are invisible 75% of the time buriend under pillows or mounds of laundry. They are extremely loyal pets and home defenders and will fight to the death and show no fear. Plus they were temple dogs and sacred phychopomps to the aztec priestly class. They were guides through the underworld and carried the spirits of the dead across the river of nine tears to Mictlan, the kingdom of the dead. Anyways, they are pretty cool.
My wife and I were holding a green limbata female adult while we cleaned and moistened the foam substrate of her enclosure. Suddenly her head craned to the side and noticed the chi dog about 8 feet away. Instantly she jumped of off my hand and ran faster than I have ever seen to the face of the chi dog where she splayed her wings and claws in diematic display while attacking repeatedly the dogs face. The dog was powerless against the relentless onslaught of the mantis and ran into the adjacent room, yelping. The mantis instantly regained composure and started cleaning herself.
That was the first time I had ever seen that dog run away from something. Perhaps the dog ran away more out of instinct than fear, but after the second facial attack the dog bolted. Pretty cool i thought.
Have you ever experienced the fearlessness of the mantis?
By way of background we have a couple of Chihuahua dogs. They are more like their ancestors foxes than like wolves. Basically i really like chi dogs because they are invisible 75% of the time buriend under pillows or mounds of laundry. They are extremely loyal pets and home defenders and will fight to the death and show no fear. Plus they were temple dogs and sacred phychopomps to the aztec priestly class. They were guides through the underworld and carried the spirits of the dead across the river of nine tears to Mictlan, the kingdom of the dead. Anyways, they are pretty cool.
My wife and I were holding a green limbata female adult while we cleaned and moistened the foam substrate of her enclosure. Suddenly her head craned to the side and noticed the chi dog about 8 feet away. Instantly she jumped of off my hand and ran faster than I have ever seen to the face of the chi dog where she splayed her wings and claws in diematic display while attacking repeatedly the dogs face. The dog was powerless against the relentless onslaught of the mantis and ran into the adjacent room, yelping. The mantis instantly regained composure and started cleaning herself.
That was the first time I had ever seen that dog run away from something. Perhaps the dog ran away more out of instinct than fear, but after the second facial attack the dog bolted. Pretty cool i thought.
Have you ever experienced the fearlessness of the mantis?