DonovanXFrancesca
Active member
So first off I would like to ask if anyone has ever had feet fall off a mantis? I've had quite a few, most all s. Limbata, and sometimes I'll have ones who just lose their feet. For no reason. They aren't cut or bitten, they just fall off at the lowest segment of the leg... I've attached photos of the current case I have. This one also has lots of "dead" spots on her body, although the others I've seen did not so I'm unsure if there's a correlation. I found her missing a wing cover which I assume was bitten/torn off, but she's got all sorts of little black areas all over her body and it only seems to be spreading. I'm wondering if the marks are just her skin dying because she hasn't shed in probably 8-9 months as she's approximately a year old. I should also note my other female has developed this too and I've never seen it before. They should be visible in the photo
For the second topic: what would be the best way to help a mantis pass on? I have two females, both s. Limbata about a year old, and they're both aging pretty badly. Francesca is the worst... She can't grip things anymore or hold herself upright. She has no drive to eat, even when I hold guts to her mouth, and she barely moves. Sometimes when she moves she shakes.. it's just sad to see and so I'd like to help her go instead of watching her starve for weeks before she dies.
My plan is to leave her outside. She's out there now and it's nice and sunny with a breeze and she seems to be enjoying it. I've put her on the easiest to grip leaves on my apple tree sapling among the flowers because I figured since she was born out there that's where she should die, y'know? I can't handle any direct methods such as squashing so I thought letting her go how she would have done naturally is best. It's dropping to 38F tonight, is that cold enough?
If you guys have any other ideas on how to make it easiest for her I'd appreciate it. I understand they're "just bugs" and don't feel pain or emotion and all that, but I give a lot of meaning to their lives however I can and it feels best to give them respect I would any other animal.
And a final question, have any of you ever had a mantis bite you and break the skin? Sometimes when Honey is grooming on me she'll reach my skin and then starting biting as hard as she can. She's left little indents before so I wondered if she could possibly draw blood or something.
Thank for all your help everyone and sorry for the long post
For the second topic: what would be the best way to help a mantis pass on? I have two females, both s. Limbata about a year old, and they're both aging pretty badly. Francesca is the worst... She can't grip things anymore or hold herself upright. She has no drive to eat, even when I hold guts to her mouth, and she barely moves. Sometimes when she moves she shakes.. it's just sad to see and so I'd like to help her go instead of watching her starve for weeks before she dies.
My plan is to leave her outside. She's out there now and it's nice and sunny with a breeze and she seems to be enjoying it. I've put her on the easiest to grip leaves on my apple tree sapling among the flowers because I figured since she was born out there that's where she should die, y'know? I can't handle any direct methods such as squashing so I thought letting her go how she would have done naturally is best. It's dropping to 38F tonight, is that cold enough?
If you guys have any other ideas on how to make it easiest for her I'd appreciate it. I understand they're "just bugs" and don't feel pain or emotion and all that, but I give a lot of meaning to their lives however I can and it feels best to give them respect I would any other animal.
And a final question, have any of you ever had a mantis bite you and break the skin? Sometimes when Honey is grooming on me she'll reach my skin and then starting biting as hard as she can. She's left little indents before so I wondered if she could possibly draw blood or something.
Thank for all your help everyone and sorry for the long post
