strange behaviour

[Raiyan]

i have a common chineese mantis as a pet...i got from a nearby nursery. i saw it shed its skin once only, and it might have shedded its skin before when it was in the nursery. it was preety normal for about 1 week but one morning i woke up to see it was flat on its cage with the arms and legs all stretched out! it now moves very little and shivers when touched. i dont know what to do...please help me someone. i am really worried..:-(

 

[hibiscusmile]

It must of been trying to molt, some people take scotch tape and stick the tips of back legs to it and hang it up to molt, some people hold it for hours, either way may work or not. If it does not make it, I can send you a couple for free, just pay priority shipping and good luck!

 

[Raiyan]

hey...thanks for the advice...i hung it with a pair of scotch tapes and strings...lets see if it works or not.....

 

[Ntsees]

You seem to be describing a technique that mantids use when they want to blend in with their surroundings in the wild when something approaches. I think it got weary and tried to make itself appear like a stick.

revised: Oops, yeah, looks like it might be trying to molt.

 

[Raiyan]

thanks....i hung the mantis for nearly 3 days but its not molting, rather it got brown marks on its fore head continuing at the back of its head...is this because of hanging it upside down for too long???...i am handling a mantis for the first time...i dont know what to do...should i try to feed it or release it from its current position or release it to the wild????....is the brown marks, sign of its molting???....i need help...

 

[Ntsees]

With just an odd behavior, it doesn't look like the mantid is going to live whether or not you release it.

 

[lancaster1313]

Try releasing it from its bindings and see what happens, if it lives or dies, you will still learn something.

You never know, I have had a strangely behaving Chinese mantis that would grab and damage her own head during feeding time. She made it to an adult that just didn't know the difference between prey, and the other white meat, finger. :lol: I really miss her, because she was so ignorant and didn't know the difference between food and non food.

 

[PhilinYuma]

Take Hibiscusmile up on her kind offer! There's little point in watching a mutilated mantis die slowly.

 

[Raiyan]

i have done what Hibiscusmile suggested....is this ( the brown marks ) any symptom of molting????....what should i do????....

 

[hibiscusmile]

No, it is a fungus or bacteria or something, it will die.