Is there any way to save this?

[Gwan-Thwei]

Hey gang

Kind of at a loss as to what to do. I went outside to check on my mantis and found he had just shed. I couldn't tell you what instar he's in, he's only about two and a half inches long and still hasn't developed his wings yet. He's a chinese mantis, so they're hardy, but...i really don't know if he can survive past this.

As i was saying before, i found him molting, only, it wasn't on the ceiling of the enclosure. It was under the large stick he perches on. Now this happened the last time i found him molting, so i wasn't too stressed, but when i picked him up, it became quite clear that he hadn't shed right at all.







His legs (aside from the one still in his moult and the one he chewed off or fell off) are all twisted and hardened. I picked him up to see if i could straighten them out but they had already set at unusual angles. He can't even stand on them. His front legs (i tried to get a picture, but my phone is kind of ******) are actually twisting over each other. I tried to carefully nudge them apart, but when he goes to crawl or grab at something they get twisted all over again. There's the possibility that he might moult just fine next time, but he can't even balance on his stomach, let alone hang upside down.

Now i'm an amateur at best, so i have no idea if this can be fixed. Any tips you have help, and i would prefer not to euthanize him (i've grown more attached to him than i would like to admit). If worst comes to worst, suggest quick and painless ways to put him down so he doesn't have to die slowly in the freezer.

 

[Aryia]

Can he hang upside down on his own? Sometimes they adapt to their situation in the weirdest ways and actually make it through, but unless he can hang upside down he won't be able to molt again in which case it would be best to put him out of his misery. Quickest way if you're not too squirmish would be just to squish his entire body (it needs to be the entire body since mantises can live without their heads/limbs for quite a while). If you stick him in the freezer his metabolism will just slow down until he's in a sleeplike state and then pass away, at least that's what I imagine will happen.

 

[Gwan-Thwei]

He hadn't moved from where i put him back in the cage for an hour and a half.

Gave him some honey (it might be beneficial, and if not it'll make my mantis happy), some water, and moistened the leg he hadn't finished shedding. After a few moments he shed the leg and i held it as straight as it could be while it dried. I found out the reason he crosses his front legs is because the right one is twisted and naturally curves over the left one. He regrew the leg i had to cut after the last bad moult, but it's folded in over itself and probably doesn't work. His breathing moves his whole body, but i can't tell if that's because it's hard for him to breathe or if it's just because he's resting his weight on his abdomen.

I dunno guys, i mean he can't move but he's still just as alert as ever. I tried feeding him, and even though he didn't grab it he sat up and pointed his antennae at it like he was interested.

 

[Toxic]

I doubt he will be able to moult... You could keep him alive awhile by hand feeding but I donut it'll work long....

Beat of luck on what ever road you decide to take...

 

[Aryia]

It doesn't matter if he can't move, as long as he can hang upside down on his own he could find a way to molt and fix himself. I've had a really bad mismolt that was missing 2 of his back legs, and he couldn't really move on his own either. But I made sure he was hanging on his own when he was close to his molt, and he fixed himself just fine.

Just let him cling on to the lid and see if he can hold himself upside down.

 

[Gwan-Thwei]

He can't hang onto the lid. His legs are too bent to do much else besides sitting.

I spread some netting over the branch and put soft terrarium liner (stuff i use for my tortoise) underneath so he can still sit up. I'll try feeding him tomorrow.

 

[Toxic]

It doesn't matter if he can't move, as long as he can hang upside down on his own he could find a way to molt and fix himself. I've had a really bad mismolt that was missing 2 of his back legs, and he couldn't really move on his own either. But I made sure he was hanging on his own when he was close to his molt, and he fixed himself just fine.

Just let him cling on to the lid and see if he can hold himself upside down.

I agree as I've had the same when I first started nymphs with 2 missing legs but still able to hunt, however if you look at the pictures in 1st post u can see he's a leg one leg stuck in a moult which once free will be benta nd the free legs are all bent up also so the hooks will never be able to grip any surface to even start moult...

Sorry to say if he's unable to hang he won't make it to he's next moult....

 

[rickyveloz33]

What if its about to molt and u just tape the legs and hang it upside down? Would that work?

 

[MantidBro]

What if its about to molt and u just tape the legs and hang it upside down? Would that work?

i had a mantid whos legs were all mangled, i used tape to stick him, but even though he was getting ready to molt, he started pulling away from the tape, trying to get free, and the tarsa tore. lost two feet.

though i do think that would work but the mantid would have to actually be in the process of molting, so they wont try to get free.

although in my experience a mantid that cant move ends up dying on its own for some reason.

theres always a chance though. id feed him a bunch so his next molt will come quicker. and then keep a good eye on him. wait until hes actually trying to force himself out of the exoskeleton, then tape him up. its best to put the foot between a folded piece of tape, then get another piece of tape, and tape it to which ever surface. they can lose limbs or feet if their foot is taped in too odd an angle.

 

[Gwan-Thwei]

He is moving around (pulling himself by his forelimbs - how weird is that?) but his legs are still pretty useless. The one i thought would be safe is now bent and crumpled, and my mantis has chewed part of it off. He's still not eating, but he is drinking and eating honey.

I considered taping him up for his next moult, but i'm not exactly sure when that would be. He hadn't grown much since the last time he moulted either, so i have no idea how old he is. How long would it usually take for him to moult again?

 

[MantidBro]

He is moving around (pulling himself by his forelimbs - how weird is that?) but his legs are still pretty useless. The one i thought would be safe is now bent and crumpled, and my mantis has chewed part of it off. He's still not eating, but he is drinking and eating honey.

I considered taping him up for his next moult, but i'm not exactly sure when that would be. He hadn't grown much since the last time he moulted either, so i have no idea how old he is. How long would it usually take for him to moult again?

it might be impossible for him to catch his own food. mantids have to balanace on their hind legs when striking prey with their "arms". you may have to hand feed him, by taking an insect, squishing it so the guts pop out, then holding it at his mouth as he eats it. ive had to do this, it can be time consuming, but worth it.

he looks to me to be a subadult, i think he would be an adult by his next molt. it takes about a month once at this stage. you could speed up the process by feeding him a lot.

 

[Gwan-Thwei]

He ate today, which is good, and he tried climbing again. Would feeding him a lot of honey speed things along any?

 

[MantidBro]

He ate today, which is good, and he tried climbing again. Would feeding him a lot of honey speed things along any?

thats good, what did he eat? honeys not exactly very filling, i think he will need more than that, have you tried hand feeding him insects?

 

[Gwan-Thwei]

I fed him a grasshopper nymph. I have no problem holding his food while he figures out how to strike. I think he just had to figure out how to adapt to not using his legs.

 

[MantidBro]

I fed him a grasshopper nymph. I have no problem holding his food while he figures out how to strike. I think he just had to figure out how to adapt to not using his legs.

Thats good keep trying to feed him grasshopper nymphs or whatever else, its best to give him insects, honey is really just beneficial for health, not external deformities so much. Good luck

 

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I'm so sorry. I have an adult female in the same situation. It is heartbreaking. My heart goes out to you and your little one

 

[Gwan-Thwei]

Would it be possible for me to make a temporary prosthesis for him out of tape? His back legs aren't the same length and have no feet anyway...

 

[MantidBro]

Would it be possible for me to make a temporary prosthesis for him out of tape? His back legs aren't the same length and have no feet anyway...

He might eat the tape, if your meaning you want to use it permanately. If you mean for just the molt id hold off til hes actually JUST about to molt cause he will try to get lose and may tear his legs. I learned that the hard way!

 

[Aryia]

Tape and mantises don't mix well. I don't think eating would be your worst problem, mantises just get entangled in tape all the time, in the most impossible ways. And tape somehow loves mantises, it's impossible to get them back out without harming the mantis.