introducing "scampi"

[Nina51]

<a href="http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Ninapearl/media/SB%2015/scampi_zpsgz3m48pu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/Ninapearl/SB%2015/scampi_zpsgz3m48pu.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo scampi_zpsgz3m48pu.jpg"/></a>

brought him home yesterday. he is still adjusting. i have eleventy billion RC loungers at my house for the weekend so it's been a whole new kinda crazy around here.

he seems to be adjusting ok. erin (one of the loungers) has had mantis shrimp for years so she helped me get him acclimated. he is using his tunnel and has been moving some rubble around. he's eaten twice today, pieces of raw shrimp. i'm leaving the lights off for now. i have seen him roll a few times so i'm watching him like a hawk.

fingers and toes crossed that he likes his new digs!!!

 

[Breadman03]

Nice! They are cool critters, but I don't have a good place for one right now. I'm jealous.

Good luck at MA '15. I thought I heard thunder last night, but there's a chance it was just the guys at your place.

 

[Martini5788]

What do you mean "roll"?

 

[Nina51]

Roll over on his back and lay for 2 or 3 seconds. He gets back up and moves around though.

 

[Martini5788]

That's weird. I'm curious what everyone else will say about that because mine has never done that. Keep an eye on it

 

[Nina51]

oh, i'm keeping an eye on him, for sure. he's in his burrow right now with just his tail sticking out.

 

[EI Gringo]

Nothing to worry about if I'm honest, I've seen all kinds of mantis lie on their backs with their legs pushed against the other side of the pvc burrow and I've seen some lay on their backs for a few seconds slightly coiled up and then they move on, I think it's just learning it's surroundings

 

[Calappidae]

It's a defensive tatic, they curl on their backs inorder to have their tail prepared to be used as a shield.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lv1_MUUFUjA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Considering it's in a new environment, it's just prepared for whatever may jump at it.

 

[snorvich]

Congrats Nina! They are fascinating.

 

[Nina51]

that video is awesome, joe! everything i can see so far indicates he's acting normally. he ate 2 small pieces of shrimp yesterday. my son picked up a dozen astrea snails and brought them to me so he has those, too.

 

[snorvich]

They tend to be neat freaks and keep their home fairly fastidious. They will watch you as much if not more than you watch them.

 

[Nina51]

he's been doing quite a bit of excavating this afternoon. all of the big pieces of rubble i gave him are now in a big pile. LOL

such fun to watch!! and i do notice he watches me if i sit close to the tank. wonder what he's thinking...

 

[maxxII]

He's plotting how to take over the world. The question is:

Will you be a helpful and useful minion?

or

Will you just be a hindrance to the master plan?

 

[gone fishin]

Roll over on his back and lay for 2 or 3 seconds. He gets back up and moves around though.

He probably was copying John. I am sure he has rolled over once or twice at MA.:lol2:

 

[EI Gringo]

"This male human may be a useful tool in my plans"

 

[Nina51]

Will you just be a hindrance to the master plan?

i secretly told him MY master plan and he's on board. be afraid. be verrrry afraid.

He probably was copying John. I am sure he has rolled over once or twice at MA.:lol2:

believe it or, john was on his best behavior this weekend. it may or may not have had something to do with the guest he brought with him. that's all i'm gonna say about that.

"This male human may be a useful tool in my plans"

whew! i'm safe since there are no male humans living in my house.

 

[EI Gringo]

I was narrating my peacock, Osiris :3

 

[Martini5788]

It's funny, my mantis shrimp is the only aquarium critter that I have that actually has a name. I call all my puffers "puff puff", original I know, but that's it. Before I gave my Betta away, I called him d**khead( meanest betts I ever had), but none of the other fish have names.

 

[Nina51]

i haven't named any of my fish but this mantis was just screaming for a name. we went through all the possibilities compliments of the forrest gump movie but we settled on scampi because i thought it was cute.

 

[Martini5788]

Funny you should mention Forrest Gump. I live where it was filmed. And unfortunately it is a very accurate description of the area. Shrimp is actually a food group here, along with dairy and meat. If I ever get a male mantis, I'm naming him bubba