thoughts on this video?

[JoeWilliamson]

Hi, was just browsing youtube for mantid vids as you do and found this vid, personally i thought the handling seems incorrect but that might just be me, what do you think? ; 

 

[mantisman 230]

I hate this guy! He is so rough with them! He treats everything else with respect but a mantis seemingly doesn't deserve the same.

 

[JoeWilliamson]

Exactly what I was thinking! He did another video as well, and it really annoys me because he seems like quite a popular youtuber and he's giving a bad message to those who watch! here's another one: 

 

[hibiscusmile]

If he was in Ohio, he looked in the wrong place. Never heard of him before.

 

[mantiseater]

I recently shared this on my facebook and a lot of people were mad about it. I talked to someone that works with him and she talked about what the program is. He is not an expert on mantids and doesn't know very much about them. He is also not trying to make a nature documentary. He is trying to show off what he finds in an entertaining way so that people will watch. I myself was a bit annoyed how my dream mantis was being handled though...

 

[mantiseater]

If he was in Ohio, he looked in the wrong place. Never heard of him before.

What do you mean he looked in the wrong place?

 

[Krissim Klaw]

The way he is restraining the mantis with the thorax and legs out is technically how you would restrain a mantis if you wanted to hold it still for some reason. Mostly his handling however just speaks of lack of experience. He looks like he is afraid the mantises are going to bolt/fly so he keeps trying to semi hold them, which just results in them trying to rip free anytime their legs come in contact with something they can grab. He gets bitten for the manhandling in the first video, but if you notice he does not swat or react instead simply releasing his hold and lets the mantis relax on its own. Obviously with that kind of reaction at a bite he is not purposely being "mean." The mantises aren't getting hurt the way he is handling them, it is just making things harder than it has to be, which he seems to realize as he switches to a more relax let them crawl on me versus try to hold onto them stance.

 

[mantisman 230]

The Choerododis was definitely not in the same shape that it was when he found it. He is pressing far too hard. I handle mantids in a very similar fashion, but I am very gentle and the mantis sits comfortably enough to look around as if it was standing on its own.

 

[Starving Always]

Are these rare? No, they're very common.

 

[MantisRCool]

Aw poor baby  if I ever be so lucky to hold a cheradodis I'd never grab it like that! And I dont grab any mantis like that unless it is biting me which almost never happens. And if I grab it to release me I do it quickly and feed them right away.

 

[JoeWilliamson]

Are these rare? No, they're very common.

That still doesn't mean they should be mistreated?!

 

[hibiscusmile]

Right, Nothing on Gods green earth should be mistreated.

 

[LazarusMantid]

I physically cringed when he held it up in the beginning and the poor little guy just wanted to grab onto something. Oh god I was like yelling out when he was handling it and pulling on it omg. They will MOVE if you touch them gently you don't have to grab them like that! They're very compliant creatures. Jesus.

Oh and that second video is awful too! I couldn't finish it. The way he was manhandling the mantis really upset me. He was just grabbing it by it's thin throax all rough and everything. They're delicate creatures! This guy's an idiot. What a jerk. No respect for mantises.