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mantisboy

mantisboy

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Boise, Idaho
Mantid update: Big Bertha-Green past away today after 2 days of vomiting which stank something fierce. Granted she may have been on her way out when I caught her. One of her eyes was discolored, I think from the vomit and she was circling. Her last few hours were spent on a house plant but I could tell she wasn't going to last much longer. I placed her in the garden and withing minutes a house finch made a snack out of her. Such is the progression of life.

In the meantime, I decided it was time to bring David and Goliath together. David has been love-struck for the last couple of days, not eating, just staring at Goliath constantly and for use of a better term occasionally humping the side of his housing. Goliath ate a couple of Hoppers this morning, so I put a deer antler in the tote so they could climb onto something.

I placed David in first, then Goliath, it took David only seconds till he locked onto his love. After a little grooming (primping) Goliath walked up on one fork of the antler with David approaching from another fork in hot pursuit. A quick flutter of David's wings with a quick 180 and they locked up. Goliath has been totally cooperative, occasionally cleaning a leg or antennae. So far it's been about 10 minutes or so, I will attempt to save David if I can.

Here are some pics....

 
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David and Goliath. What an interesting pair. :p Hope Goliath gives you a lot of babies!

 
idahomantid said:
Mantid update: Big Berta-Green past away today after 2 days of vomiting which stank something fierce. Granted she may have been on her way out when I caught her. One of her eyes was discolored, I think from the vomit and she was circling. Her last few hours were spent on a house plant but I could tell she wasn't going to last much longer. I placed her in the garden and withing minutes a house finch made a snack out of her. Such it the progression of life.

In the meantime, I decided it was time to bring David and Goliath together. David has been love-struck for the last couple of days, not eating, just staring at Goliath constantly and for use of a better term occasionally humping the side of his housing. Goliath ate a couple of Hoppers this morning, so I put a deer antler in the tote so they could climb onto something.

I placed David in first, then Goliath, it take David only seconds till he locked onto his love. After a little grooming (primping) Goliath walked up on side of the antler tine with David in hot pursuit. A quick flutter of David's wings and a quick 180 and they locked up. Goliath has been totally cooperative, occasionally cleaning a leg or antennae. So far it's been about 10 minutes or so, I will attempt to save David if I can.

Here are some pics....
Click to expand...
Tried feeding her a small Hopper, but she didn't want anything to do with it. This makes for a somewhat comical pic. Without playing with the pic for 15 minutes, although out of focus due to compression you can see the hopper on the tip of the horn about David and Goliath.

 
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Yay! They could easily mate for hours, so if you go to bed tonight don't be surprised if they're still going after it! Good luck saving your male!

 
Laura G said:
Yay! They could easily mate for hours, so if you go to bed tonight don't be surprised if they're still going after it! Good luck saving your male!
Click to expand...
David climbed on the back of the mighty Goliath.....and lived! It was only a quickie (4 hours) but he accomplished his goal and fulfilled his destiny. My son discovered they had separated right before we left to go hopper hunting. I must say, that was way cool, Rick is right, males don't eat much so they can move quickly when the get their chance. Oddly enough Goliath instantly submitted, let David live and was really calm. She was in the exact same spot handing upside down on the antler where they mated after we returned from hopper hunting. David was all high-ones, struting around his housing, pumping up his arms and saying, "Who's the Mantid, Yeah that's what I'm talking about." Funny stuff

Bertha is gone, so Goliath's housing just doubled in size. Because Bertha was sick I cleaned the housing, new sticks, new substrate just in case. It must have been good for Goliath, I placed 1 hopper in her housing which she instantly dined on. Thanks to everybody, this has been a real kick!

 

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