# Mantis with hurt leg =(



## fiona_951 (May 27, 2008)

Okay, so I went to check on my little Violin Mantis, Strad, earlier and everything seemed fine, so I got him out to just have a little hold, when he started climbing towards and onto my hand I noticed he was holding up his back right leg!

He is walking on it occasionally but not really with any control, no grip, just plodding it down and then dragging it behind. When he's still he lifts it up and close to his body. 

The rest of his legs are functional and fine, and although he is stumbling a bit he appears to be getting around alright. 

He is still very young, i'm not entirely sure what instar but I would probably guess about 2nd or 3rd. 

He has eaten recently, and I haven't seen him eat since but he ate a massive cricket quite easily. 

I did notice, there is a small cricket in the bottom of the enclosure... Obviously one I missed when cleaning out the cage... Could that of been the cause?

I know this sounds silly, but is there anything I can do for him? Is he in pain? What happens next?... IF anyone can advice me.

Sorry to sound so silly, just so upset for my little Strad.

Thanks,

Fiona.


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## MAB90 (Dec 27, 2010)

fiona_951 said:


> Okay, so I went to check on my little Violin Mantis, Strad, earlier and everything seemed fine, so I got him out to just have a little hold, when he started climbing towards and onto my hand I noticed he was holding up his back right leg!
> 
> He is walking on it occasionally but not really with any control, no grip, just plodding it down and then dragging it behind. When he's still he lifts it up and close to his body.
> 
> ...


The cricket you missed sounds like the probable cause as they can be aggressive but if hes getting around okay then it shouldnt be a problem. It will regenerate the damaged leg within its next moult. Hope all goes well!


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## fiona_951 (May 27, 2008)

So it'll just grow back if it comes off or anything? Wow, amazing.

Yea, he seems fine at the moment, thank you so much for calming me down! Haha I'm really attached to this little guy so don't think I could handle anything happening to him. Lol 

I'll be more careful next time... Ugh, annoying little buggers. 

Thank you!


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## KWIBEZEE (Mar 15, 2010)

I would second that opinion Fiona. crickets are real terrors- I have seen a fresh ecdysed Hierodula membranacea - Giant asian 5th instar munched after an hour or so of ecdysing. I too overlooked a micro-cricket!!! It was almost entirely hollow. The over-bloated cricket was captured and fed to a spiderling - funny little food-chain...
Indeed at such a young instar it may well loose the entire limb and then regenerate a new appendage without any difficulty. Try obtain some flies instead of crickets too since they are a much safer pry item. Any questions PM me. Thanks K. : victory:


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## fiona_951 (May 27, 2008)

I have been looking for fruit flies but can't seem to find any within local shops. I'll have a look online though now, seeing as i'm now not a fan at all of the crickets. So angry at myself for missing one and letting him get hurt =(

Gosh, at least you avenged your mantis by feeding him to a spider! Haha Sorry for you though.

Well, hopefully he will regenerate it then! Would be good.


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## MAB90 (Dec 27, 2010)

fiona_951 said:


> So it'll just grow back if it comes off or anything? Wow, amazing.
> 
> Yea, he seems fine at the moment, thank you so much for calming me down! Haha I'm really attached to this little guy so don't think I could handle anything happening to him. Lol
> 
> ...


No problem  and yeh giving that its a young one it will get that leg back to normal itself!
Im really attached to my mantids, they all have characters to them :no1:



KWIBEZEE said:


> I would second that opinion Fiona. crickets are real terrors- I have seen a fresh ecdysed Hierodula membranacea - Giant asian 5th instar munched after an hour or so of ecdysing. I too overlooked a micro-cricket!!! It was almost entirely hollow. The over-bloated cricket was captured and fed to a spiderling - funny little food-chain...
> Indeed at such a young instar it may well loose the entire limb and then regenerate a new appendage without any difficulty. Try obtain some flies instead of crickets too since they are a much safer pry item. Any questions PM me. Thanks K. : victory:


Ive recently ordered fruit flys for my giant asian and GF's orchid mantis as my useless local pet shop only ever get black crickets in which i dont trust dropping in with my mantises anymore, there far too fiesty :lol2:


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## fiona_951 (May 27, 2008)

They do have characters! My little actually seems to enjoy being out on my hand as well, as silly as that sounds but he climbs up to me whenever I take the top of his cage off. Haha I do think they're amazing.

Yea, all my local pet stores only doing crickets, locusts, waxworms and mealworms. He eats waxworms occasionally but they don't tend to move around enough for him to be interested I find.

So, online orders it looks like i'll have to go for. Just out of interest, where did you order yours from?


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## MAB90 (Dec 27, 2010)

fiona_951 said:


> They do have characters! My little actually seems to enjoy being out on my hand as well, as silly as that sounds but he climbs up to me whenever I take the top of his cage off. Haha I do think they're amazing.
> 
> Yea, all my local pet stores only doing crickets, locusts, waxworms and mealworms. He eats waxworms occasionally but they don't tend to move around enough for him to be interested I find.
> 
> So, online orders it looks like i'll have to go for. Just out of interest, where did you order yours from?


Same with mine, just sits on my shoulder or arm and looks around the room for ages! lol 
Yeh i always cripple the crickets before i drop them in as a precaution but sometimes i over do it and the cricket barely moves and the mantis just sits their like what the f:censor:k is that thing :lol2:
I ordered mine from jungle bugs but places like the spider shop and bugzuk etc have life food. Just type in invert shops uk and it will usually bring up all the online stores for things like that.


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## andie (Sep 23, 2007)

Its a good time to try and get out of the habit of feeding crickets to your Gongy because as it grows older you will find that it maybe reluctant to take any prey that isnt a fly, ie blue/green bottles or moths. Many species such as _Empusa_ should not be fed crickets as these can prove fatal and they are suspected of causing problems with oothecae production.


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## The Rook (Mar 17, 2010)

Don't feed crickets, especially black ones. If it doesn't eat, don't leave the food in there for a long time & try giving flightless fruit flies. I've gotten mine from rainforestsupplies.co.uk, lots of other place sell them.


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