Peacock Mantis eating from fingers?

[mikefish]

I've had a 6" peacock in my 100gal refugium for just a few weeks. I feed it scallops mostly and it has already recognized me as a source of food, coming up to the surface when I poke my head over the edge of the tub. I am very tempted to try letting it take a scallop from my fingers. How foolish, IYO, would this be? Any stories of others who have tried it?
Mike

 

[porky]

If you do be sure to take pictures
Seriously, I wouldn't do it, might mistake your finger for prey.

 

[netjackson]

Just putting my hand in tank resulted in a painful experience. When I feed my Mantis with a feeding stick, he will hit the stick then grab the food. My mantis is about 3 inches, yours is 6, that would be quite a punch.

Rob

 

[dapel]

I can feed frozen shrimp from my hand to Vegas all day long. This peacock of mine is surprisingly docile and won't attack unless agitated or unless it's a live crab/hermit/snail. I can even run my fingers down it's back and he'll be fine with it. I always thought (from tons of readings) that ALL mantids will kill any living thing in a tank but from my experience they don't really bother anything at all unless provoked. But the last mantis I had, a green G. chiragra, snapped at everything that came close to it. I dare not to get close to that thing, but the peacock I had learned over a few months of time that he's very friendly.

-Dan

 

[dapel]

And for those who don't remember Vegas, here are some pics, there are others in the search.

-Dan

 

[sdm]

He's a beauty!

 

[Wee Man]

i wouldnt but if you do, get pics

 

[mikefish]

Hehe. Until dapel's posts I was thinking that I didn't know what I was thinking. My (unnamed) mantis is a dead ringer for Vegas, and has seemed to be to be reluctant to strike in general. I can harrass him with a spoon or an algae scraper and he will first grab it and try to move it away before he finally hits it.

I will probably train him first to take food from tongs and see how that goes. He came up to see me again this morning, sticking his little arms up in the air asking for food. Who would think one of these monsters could look cute!
Mike

 

[szeth13]

link to see pix of mantis eating out of hands
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/pics/gawura_backside.htm

 

[szeth13]

whe did u get vegas???

 

[dapel]

link to see pix of mantis eating out of hands
http://www.blueboard.com/mantis/pics/gawura_backside.htm

I think that was the one where the mantis' raptorial appendages were being re-grown, thus being able to feed directly to the mantis via fingers. I'll see if I can get some REAL feeding action going on.

-Dan


BTW szeth13, what are you asking me in your last post? When or where?

 

[andgott]

Just make sure that you have good health insurance... Mr. Bojangles attacked his feeding stick tonight- You wouldnt beleive the strength that a 2 inch mantis can muster- let alone a 6 incher!

 

[Hwarang]

Heh I wouldn't do it. My mantis usually liked to whack at the tweezers a few times before taking the food.

 

[8BALL_99]

If you read under that picture "Fortunately for Alex, the mantis shrimp is regrowing its raptorial appendages and is not in any position to demonstrate why stomatopods are sometimes called "thumbsplitters".

So dont get your hopes up. My peacock will grap and hit feeding tongs and the Turkey baster. He only has to hit once lol. Post a picture of your finger after he pops it I"ve only seen a couple

 

[mikefish]

Well, I tried the tongs first. Good thing. He seems to like to whack things when they have food in them. So all I can say regarding this thread is "nevermind"
Mike

 

[Freed]

Are all peacocks spearers? Looks that way in the picks. Do I see spears or hammers?

 

[maxxII]

Freed,
Peacocks are smashers. Look at this pic of the Peacock mantis.... You can see the end of the smasher clearly in these photos....its the rounded red "club" looking thing in a stratight line beneath his eye stalk.

Nick

 

[Freed]

1st, 2nd and 4th pics in this thread don't I see hooks or spears on the ends of arms? I don't know which mantis' have spears and which have smashers, I'm just going by what I see in the pics 1,2 and 4 above. Thanks.

 

[8BALL_99]

Freed he's talking about the last picture I posted ^^^ you can see the red smashers

 

[Freed]

Yes, OK. But what are the red hooks at the ends of, that are directly underneath the smashers that you are talking about.