had my mantis about 3.5 month, he finally molted

[Madmonkey]

I got home from the pet store with more ghost shrimps today. The mantis did not come out of his cave at all. I can bearly see him hidding in the cave. I was baffled why he did not want to come out. Then I spoted the tail part of his exoskeleton in the back entrance of his cave ( I assumed that the only part he did not consume).

Now I think back, my mantis was a little more active in the past 3 days. But it appeared he was looking for something all over the tank (still have not figured out what he was looking for).

Hope his new exoskeleton hardens soon and start to smash things again.

Matt

 

[Gonodactylus]

How soon an animal gets back to full striking streght depends on species and size. Something like a 1 inch Haptosquilla will be striking in a couple of days, a 2 inch N. wennerae will be full power in 4 or 5 days. A large O. scyllarus could take a week or more and some large gonodactylids like G. platysoma seem to be really slow - a couple of weeks.

Roy

 

[Agu]

Do they stay hidden until the molt hardens ? Mines been hiding in it's cave with the entrance blocked for three days now.

Also, during the second day it was "clicking" extremely loudly for about three hours, it's been silent since. Is this a molting related behavior ?

tia,

Agu

 

[hackster1]

Agu

Agu

Thats what mine did when he molted, same amount of time, only i didnt hear any loud clicking. After either two or three days, I saw the tail parts outside his cave.

Took him another day or two to come out and play

HTH

Leo

 

[Agu]

He's back... with an attitude I may add, saw him beating up a flower anemone ? A chunk of food mellowed him considerably , after he wacked the feeding stick a few times.

Agu