steeve
Active member
So I really wanted to share my first two successful molts as a mantis owner!
Opal is my Giant Asian Mantis, I was incredibly anxious about him because his old habitat seemed too small and he was practically bursting out of his old exoskeleton, he was so chubby. On an impulse I moved him into a larger container since he seemed very stressed out. Stayed up until 3 am that evening fretting over him, decided to reach my hand in to disturb him some more; he was keen on hanging out under the lowest branch, hardly 2 inches from the ground. Me moving him may have saved him from a mismolt.
Anyway, the next morning I woke up to a very large Opal next to a smaller Opal skin!
(Apologies in advance for terrible iphone photos.)
Here's a young Opal--the photo doesn't do him justice but he was pale yellow with pastel pink and green highlights!
And here he is, hanging out and drying out! Unfortunately the plastic is super scratched up and makes for bad photos.
(Click to see a bigger picture.)
Now here he is, 2 days later and as bright as an unripe banana! But with pretty pink accents and eyes. I think he's subadult, if anyone can confirm for me!
But that's not all!
The same night my Carolina, Lime, decided to molt as well, but super unexpectedly because he was stuffing his face every day until then (maybe since he was wild caught he feels the need to eat any time possible...?). I took a glance at his habitat like I usually do and discovered he was hanging out next to a molted skin as well.
Nonchalant like usual.
He's about an inch in length, still with those awesome green legs.
After reading so many mismolt horror stories it was a huge relief to have two successful molts in one night! Not only that but my two Indian Flower mantises molted in the following 3 days without trouble... but that's probably going to go in a mantis collection thread I hope to make
Opal is my Giant Asian Mantis, I was incredibly anxious about him because his old habitat seemed too small and he was practically bursting out of his old exoskeleton, he was so chubby. On an impulse I moved him into a larger container since he seemed very stressed out. Stayed up until 3 am that evening fretting over him, decided to reach my hand in to disturb him some more; he was keen on hanging out under the lowest branch, hardly 2 inches from the ground. Me moving him may have saved him from a mismolt.
Anyway, the next morning I woke up to a very large Opal next to a smaller Opal skin!
(Apologies in advance for terrible iphone photos.)
Here's a young Opal--the photo doesn't do him justice but he was pale yellow with pastel pink and green highlights!
And here he is, hanging out and drying out! Unfortunately the plastic is super scratched up and makes for bad photos.
(Click to see a bigger picture.)
Now here he is, 2 days later and as bright as an unripe banana! But with pretty pink accents and eyes. I think he's subadult, if anyone can confirm for me!
But that's not all!
The same night my Carolina, Lime, decided to molt as well, but super unexpectedly because he was stuffing his face every day until then (maybe since he was wild caught he feels the need to eat any time possible...?). I took a glance at his habitat like I usually do and discovered he was hanging out next to a molted skin as well.
Nonchalant like usual.
He's about an inch in length, still with those awesome green legs.
After reading so many mismolt horror stories it was a huge relief to have two successful molts in one night! Not only that but my two Indian Flower mantises molted in the following 3 days without trouble... but that's probably going to go in a mantis collection thread I hope to make
