Mantis having trouble

[cdcrocks]

Hello again. This time I'm back with one of my L5 Chinese nymphs. She, I think, didn't eat for three days and then I shoved some cricket guts in her face, which she took and held on her own while she was eating. Now, she's eating, but she's spent all her time since her last molt on the bottom of her container, often clawing at the sides. I think she's having trouble because of her handicaps- her right hind leg came out of the molt badly and is crooked, her left hind is regrowing and all short and stubby from where she lost it at L3, and most of all, she's missing the tarsus on her right raptorial and most of the tarsus on the right middle leg. I managed to get her out for a picture, which is hard because she can't climb on me. I sort of had to scoop- dump her out.

I have a way to feed her, so my question is this- is there a way for me to help this poor thing molt? And would a tarsus on a raptorial come back after molting? I know they come out differently from the other legs.

I'm considering putting her in with my biggest mantis, in his mesh container. He might eat her, but he's only one molt ahead so there's a good chance he wouldn't. And she may be able to climb on the mesh and molt vertically from the side, probably not, but if theres an iota of a chance then I think it may be worth trying. If he eats her, oh well, I would have just had to freeze and bury her if she mismolted. This way she's helping her brother out.

Thank you for your advice. I know she' s probably not going to make it but it's worth a shot.

 

[Sticky]

Dont give up on her yet! All her problems will be fixed when she molts. All her tarsi will regrow with each molt.her clawing at the sides is she's trying to climb. If you can, glue some no-slip cloth to the insides of her container. That way she can climb up and hang the way she wants. They are tough little ones and can surprise you!

 

[cdcrocks]

What do you mean by no slip cloth? I'm not sure I have that, where can I get it?

 

[Digger]

A fine mesh (like women's stockings) or fine cotton weave (an old t-shirt which must be chemical-free).

 

[cdcrocks]

Would a piece of an old washcloth work? Or a shopcloth, like I used to use to cover jars? They molted upside down on it just fine. I could probably find an old T-shirt I don't like if I looked hard enough, but I'd rather not tear up something I could wear.

 

[furrymanmarbles]

Don't put her down yet as long as she's moving and eating she should be fine you just need to give her a little extra help until the next molt where she will heal. And if she climbs once you put material on the walls your all set if not keep an eye out for her to start molting on the ground and attach a piece of scotch tape to a couple legs and then the top of a surface so she's upside down for the molt.

 

[cdcrocks]

I'll try that. I'll keep her in my room with me and some tape and see when she starts to molt. I'm nervous about her getting stuck on the tape though.

 

[cdcrocks]

She molted on her own! I don't think she can climb well even now, her hind legs came out a little wonky. But she took a cricket wiggling from my tweezers, instead of me having to force her to eat headless ones. I'm hoping she'll be able to catch her own tomorrow.

 

[Sticky]

How is she now?

 

[cdcrocks]

Catching her own crickets regularly. I must say, she's really impressed me.

 

[Sticky]

Wonderful!

 

[Digger]

:clap:

 

[mantisman 230]

haha they are waaay tougher than that. I have had one accidently molt on a low branch in his cage and he was bent a little bit, he fixed himself after a molt, and surprisingly hunted on his own, from then on his name was igor.