Molting time?

[JTHMfreak]

Well, fed francis some honey just now, seemed to just gobble it up. Does not appear to be disfigured. When I said that the arms were stuck the part that was stuck was after the first joint (so after the elbow maybe)

 

[lancaster1313]

It has to be very close to what happened to the one in the pic. She can't use claws at all, she likes to TRY to hold prey with the ends of her coxae(the first part of leg from the thorax). She bites the food and rips it up like a pitt bull. :lol: Very aggressive with the mouth which is all she really has at the moment.

I have certainly seen much better outcomes, and much worse, from getting stuck.

I hope that yours is on the much better side of the spectrum. Being able to close the claws will be awesome. unk:

 

[JTHMfreak]

Any way I can test and see if the claws are usable?

 

[lancaster1313]

Maybe you can remove the prey and wait until tomorrow to feed it. If it can't use the claws for some reason, the prey will just stress it out.

Usually a mantis will use the front legs to walk. If you can convince it to walk on a stick or finger you will see if the claws can at least open as you watch it walk and they may shut when it stops to rest.

Seriously, it has to be stressed out after all that. No harm will be done in waiting until tomorrow to feed.

 

[glock34girl]

My ghost was able to hang after getting stuck but was unable to catch prey or even stand without falling over. Eventually he went into the freezer and is now in the garden. :-( Iam glad your story seems more promising.

 

[JTHMfreak]

Let the flies out, offered one to francis and he/she seemed uninterested. Francis does not seem to be closing arms when walking, or much at all. I hope being stuck in the molt skin did not cause any permanent damage.

 

[JTHMfreak]

My ghost was able to hang after getting stuck but was unable to catch prey or even stand without falling over. Eventually he went into the freezer and is now in the garden. :-( Iam glad your story seems more promising.

I hope it does not come to that. Only time will tell though

 

[lancaster1313]

If your mantis can stand, hang, and use its mouth, all it will need is a little help like is shown in the photo.

Mash a feeder and put it on a stick. Teach the mantis to eat it by putting a soft part to the mouth like with the honey. Once it is eating, you can adjust the height of the food for the comfort of the mantis. It will probably need to be done until the next molt. It is work that will pay off when it corrects itself. :wub:

Be prepared for the possibility of a fight tomorrow. It may flail its legs and be very frightened of the stick with the food, but if it is hungry it will figure it out. Wetting the food and sweetening it a little with honey(not too much honey), helps alot.

My mantis will sometimes walk up to the stick and eat now that she knows what it is. She has the will to eat and live. I hope she can pull out of the next skin as I have had it happen before with others, resulting in a perfectly molted mantis.

 

[JTHMfreak]

Hmmm, all I have are small fruit flies at the moment though.

 

[lancaster1313]

How long is your mantis?

If it has trouble grabbing prey, you have plenty of options.

If you gather a bunch of the flies and mush them together, it can work. Maybe catch a moth or fly from outside, ( make sure it is nice and healthy).

 

[JTHMfreak]

Just over an inch I suppose. It is just sitting there

 

[lancaster1313]

Time for some larger food.

Many mantids don't move a whole lot, and yours did just have an ordeal.

 

[JTHMfreak]

Not closing the claws. I wonder if that is because it can't, or if maybe it is painful (like when you have had a finger in a splint for awhile and it's painful to bend after splint is off)

 

[lancaster1313]

If it doesn't close them by now then it wont likely do it until they are repaired. They most likely hardened that way, just like my girl's claws.

They like to keep them closed when they are at rest, if they can.

 

[JTHMfreak]

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, must be damaged then, I hope they will fix themselves with the next molt