Mantis eating its leg?

[monkeyfoo]

My Mantis finished its fifth molted 1 day ago. Today for no reason it started munching on the end of its middle right leg (the grippy part), and it ate the whole end of it! Any ideas as to why? Thanks

 

[patrickfraser]

Maybe it's really tasty?

 

[ismart]

It probably was infected?

 

[ismart]

Maybe it's really tasty?

Like cookie? :lol:

 

[patrickfraser]

Like cookie? :lol:

YES!!! COOOOOOKIE!

 

[Mex_Ghost]

It probably was infected?

Probably, I read somewhere that too

 

[Idolofreak]

Wow, I was going to say it was cleaning its foot, but the I read it ate the whole end!? :blink: It should grow the tarsus (the "grippy" part) back during the next molt. A couple of my ghost nymphs had missing legs, but they grew them back by molting once. What species of mantis is it?

 

[monkeyfoo]

Wow, I was going to say it was cleaning its foot, but the I read it ate the whole end!? :blink: It should grow the tarsus (the "grippy" part) back during the next molt. A couple of my ghost nymphs had missing legs, but they grew them back by molting once. What species of mantis is it?

I dont know the species, but it is just a ordinary brown one.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

Hey, I know your a new member, so sorry about the other two members that think its funny your mantis ate its foot :angry: I'll be sending someone to their house to eat their dogs foot, they taste like chicken as we all know ,but if a mantis eats one of its body parts it was probably going bad "infected" so they kill a small piece to secure their future and well being.

Shame on you two, even if it was funny=P

 

[monkeyfoo]

Hey, I know your a new member, so sorry about the other two members that think its funny your mantis ate its foot :angry: I'll be sending someone to their house to eat their dogs foot, they taste like chicken as we all know ,but if a mantis eats one of its body parts it was probably going bad "infected" so they kill a small piece to secure their future and well being.

Shame on you two, even if it was funny=P

LOL

Anyways thanks for the help. The mantis seems normal now as its eating and moving easily.

I now am going to call him peg-leg

 

[patrickfraser]

I'll be back shortly. I'll be taking a slow walk of shame around the block to reflect on my actions.

 

[angelofdeathzz]

I'll be back shortly. I'll be taking a slow walk of shame around the block to reflect on my actions.

:lol: Yes, Very good then, and while your at it stop by the Bronx and pick up Paul, but be sure to leash him as sometimes he chases cars I hear.

 

[ismart]

:lol: Yes, Very good then, and while your at it stop by the Bronx and pick up Paul, but be sure to leash him as sometimes he chases cars I hear.

Now why did you have to tell everyone my secret? :angry: :lol:

But in all seriousness. They do tend to eat the infected part so that it does not spread to rest of it's body causing eminent death. Just a little reminder to keep your enclosures clean. There is clearly a reason why mantids are always grooming themselves.

 

[Termite48]

As an observer in this, and having not seen this phenomenon, I would ask myself whether or not you introduced something into the enclosure that might have been with a fungus, or a mold. That can happen if you are using things like crickets from a pet store, wild caught feeder insects, etc. You probably do not want that happening on a regular basis, even though the mantis has a way to deal with it when the matter is limited to a small area.