Praying mantis emergency!!!!!

[misshissingroaches]

Ok my kid left a rock in her little praying mantis container and she asked me to hold it while she got in the car. I feel REALLY guilty because I ended up dropping the dang container and breaking (not crushed) the mantises (Goliaths) front claws. he uses these 2 hunt so he may never get food again if he cant catch it. right now the mantis is standing up (better than earlier) but he has his head resting on top of his two front claws and he looks like hes gonna die soon if I don't do anything. my daughter (owner) is in complete shock and is afraid hes gonna die. shes planning on feeding him cricket food for the rest of his life if he lives but im worried because he only likes live things......(he will eat dead little green flies if hungry enough and we haven't tried the cricket food yet) his claws look like they have a little chance of healing if he lives. So basically what im asking is, CAN I SAVE MY DAUGHTERS PRIDE AND JOY GOLIATH?!?!?!?!?!

 

[Psychedelic Chams]

I suggest googling whether or not they regrow limbs as a grasshopper or cricket regrow there jumping legs

 

[misshissingroaches]

I suggest googling whether or not they regrow limbs as a grasshopper or cricket regrow there jumping legs

Gr8 idea! thx.

 

[laurie]

Feed him very small fruit flys. Just put them where he has easy access to then.

 

[misshissingroaches]

well the issue is his front legs, and it says he cannot regrow those. but since he is not MISSING his front legs, if he survives long enough they will heal at his first shed (hes just like 3 weeks-1 month old) PRAY (I love wise cracks ) 4 goliath!!!

 

[misshissingroaches]

Feed him very small fruit flys. Just put them where he has easy access to then.

he cant catch them as his front claws are kept right under his chin and they are almost what I would call "magneted" to each other. he is very tired and will only move his legs too tell my daughter hes still alive (hes rlly intelligent) or shake his butt at me when I look at him.

 

[misshissingroaches]

Gr8 new update!!!! he has one claw that is still intact and not broken!!!!!

 

[bugboy]

As long as one raptor is working, he will be able to eat. If you are careful enough you can take the food item in a tweezer and put it up to his mouth. He should recognize the taste and grab it. If he eats on his own, this is unnecessary. Sometimes it takes a few tries to do this, but eventually they get the hang of it. If the other raptor happens to fall off, they will regenerate a new one, albeit a little smaller than the other. If it's still usable, just bent out of shape, come the next molt it will straighten out and be perfectly fine, like you never even knew something happened.

 

[Chameleonmaster]

i'd just wait for the next molt to see what it looks like.

 

[camimom]

I had a mantid that had a deformed front claw too.

Not sure how, but he also had a hard time catching food.

i just took bugs and held them near his face and he ate them.

after two sheds his full claw was there.

they also love mashed banana.

 

[misshissingroaches]

oh, poor little baby. he died while we slept and my daughter was crying. we tried to save him but he lived a spoiled life while it lasted. thankfully she will soon forget bc she is getting her own hissing roach colony!!!! R.I.P GOLIATH.

 

[Kath44]

Sorry to hear that. Rip Goliath. Kath.

 

[misshissingroaches]

she keeps on hoping that he is still alive, I tried to explain it but she just cried........

 

[misshissingroaches]

oh gr8. she caught a moth. it already ate a hole through my sweater. hope I don't kill this one..... actually I hope it dies. soon it will b RIP ELIZABETH

 

[bugboy]

Aaaah that sucks, sorry.
These things are so fragile, sometimes I get nervous just looking at them. I've had a few close calls where I thought for sure I had damaged one, but nothing yet so far (knock on wood). I'd try again, these are some great insects to keep as pets; very interesting to watch.