molting help when you know ahead there is a problem

[charleyandbecky]

Hello all...

I've searched all over for an answer to this and I can't find anyone with this particular issue.

About 2 weeks ago I found an injured Chinese mantis outside. He appears to be sub-adult. I found him with half a back leg missing and a semi-functional front claw (the other claw is fine). He was on the ground and looked very unwell. I brought him inside and hand-fed him a smaller cricket and gave him a good spray and set him up in an enclosure. He does fine eating with a little help from me, and I've seen him catch his prey by pinning it to the enclosure. He can climb okay but he's slow.

Here's my thing...I know he is nearing his final molt. As a matter of fact, it could be any day now and I am so worried about the back leg. How will he hang from the enclosure to molt? He hangs now but uses back leg and middle legs. He has good material to hang from and nothing else in the cage right now to get in his way.

I put this mantis on my night stand last night and woke up every hour to check on him to see if he was molting. Is there any way he'll make it through this molt with these 2 injuries? If he does, I'll be happy to hand feed him for the rest of his life if necessary because he is the funniest, sweetest mantis I've ever had. He's a real character.

Can anything be done to make his chances of a successful molt any better with these injuries?

Thanks,

Rebecca

 

[hibiscusmile]

You have done all you can, he should be ok with hanging from the one leg, but if he falls and u catch him in time, and can hold him or get his leg to hold onto something he may make it.

 

[Katnapper]

I can't think of doing anything more than you already are. You're doing all the right things, and I think you'll just have to hope for the best. If you catch him molting and he has fallen or appears to be having trouble and can't hang by his walking legs himself, holding him by the one back leg until he finishes might be an option.

 

[charleyandbecky]

Thank you both!

As long as I know I'm doing the right things, I'll just watch him carefully. This is a great mantis and I really want him to make it through this last molt, but the injuries really worried me.

Rebecca

 

[d17oug18]

i had a friend who had a mantis when all but one leg broken, it kept falling. and it died becuase it couldnt stay up long enough to molt and he didnt know about that. but if yours is ok hanging without falling i think heck get through hes last molt fine.

 

[Rick]

If just one leg he should be fine.

 

[charleyandbecky]

Well, it's 5:40 a.m. and sometime between about 4 a.m. and now, the subject mantis of this thread finally molted. Thank goodness, he appears to be fine. I wanted so much to see the molt and make sure he had no problems, but he apparently didn't want an audience! I've even had him on my night stand for about 5 nights and would check on him throughout the night. His wings look good. His back leg is still short but did regrow a little (enough to balance, I think). Still too early to tell about the injured claw but like I said earlier, he does a pretty good job of catching food. I'm just glad this sweet mantis was able to molt with his injuries. No more molts to worry about now!

Rebecca

 

[Katnapper]

Glad to hear it, Rebecca!