Praying Mantis: What Would You Do?

Situation: Last night around 7pm, I brought some indoor plants inside after they were outside for a day. I picked up 2 pots which were kind of heavy so I had to set one down and almost screamed (freaked) because a PRAYING MANTIS was caught under one of the pots. His leg(s) was(were). I lifted it immediately to set him free.

He just stayed there....moving one leg slowly (that was kind of cut off near the knee--if you could say he had one). I counted to legs on the other side and it seems he was missing a smaller leg also (not a jumper leg) on the same side.

I brought the rest of the plants in and felt bad for him. Weather was getting colder and it was windy. He was trying to move but didn't go far. I go into the apt. to watch a few movies.

I look inbetween movies to see what's up with him. Next time I peek it's dark. I had no outside light on but when I turned it on, a huge black furry spider (maybe the size of a quarter or a bit bigger) was about 7 inches from the mantis. The mantis managed to move just a few inches but his abdomen is throbbing or making movements like he's trying to give birth or make a bowel movement or in excrutiating pain.

At this point, I'm not sure if the spider had gone up to him and bit him/stabbed him with poison and was just waiting for the spider to keel over, or if he was in pain from the missing limbs?

The other possibility is...4 days prior, I had pest people come and spray the flowers outside my apt. with poison. Don't know if he's in agony because of the poison form the pesticide either.

Well, as much as I'd like the spider to get HIS food too, I don't want the mantis to be the food, so I left the light on out there so the mantis could keep an eye on the spider.

I check back in about 1.5 more hours....it's about 2am by now. Spider gone. Mantis somehow moved. He's been wiggling his leg slowly as if trying to get up strength to move himself. A few hours earlier it looked like he was moving toward the spider. Don't know if he was trying to commit suicide and wanted the spider to put him out of his misery? Don't know if mantises eat spiders? Don't know if that's the only direction his lopsided legs would take him. Every once in a while he pops on his stomach and uses his praying/preying legs to lift up and I swear he's looking at me. He actually is lifting his head toward me and all I can imagine is he's asking for me for help.

I stand and watch him for a half hour. I go back in and watch another movie. Come back out at 4:33am....he managed to move 3 more inches to under some flowers. He looked like he was struggling to get out of the flowers or maybe he was trying to hide. I have no idea. I just know that he's still in agony...abdomen still slowly moving. He kept going back and forth from on his stomach, to his side, then on his back.

I can't take it anymore and decide to go to bed. I wake at noon and check on him. He's STILL outside, still slowly moving and still in pain I'm sure.

I'd like to put him out of his misery, but:
1). I don't have the heart to squish him...don't want to actually...I have a rule about squishing anything large enough to make a "wet" mess. This would definitely include mantises.
2). I don't have the heart to pull a Tony Soprano and "whack" him...what if I don't hit him hard enough and I only cause more pain? Then I'd have to hit him many more times.

And yet, I can't stand to see him suffer. I moved him to the side of the building away from the wind.

It's now 7:07pm. Probably a full 24 hours since he's been out there. I was at the store, came back and looked at him. He wasn't moving so I blew lightly on him, his front leg (that he prays/preys with) started moving. Darn the poor bugger is still hanging in there. Can you imagine the slow agonizing death he must be experiencing?

My question is not what should I do. Obviously, I've decided to let him go naturally as agonizing as it is to watch.

My question is what would YOU do in the situation? Do you have any sort of feelings for any live creature? Do you squish him? If you saw the animal/insect was in pain but you normally don't kill animals, would you kill it with the intention to help end its suffering?

Tia

Girl - I had a tiny lizard in my bathroom the other night!

I freaked the fuck out! lol

I sprayed it with hair spray and tried to get it to go in the drain of the shower!

That thing ran and changed colors on me so fast, all I could do was to lock it the restroom.

I have no idea where that fucker went but I have been using the other bathroom because I'm scared LOL

I sprayed it with hair spray and tried to get it to go in the drain of the shower!
Originally Posted by berkleigh

You sprayed it with hairspray???





The lizard's more afraid of you than you are of it trust me I"ve got three Iguana's, three water turtles, two frogs, two anoles, and a Tortoise...what you described sounds like an anole. They hate hairspray. Gives them bed spikes.

They DO love crickets tho so you might want throw few in that bathroom...

I do hair so figured he needed to stylin' lol

...and it was the first thing in reach

Considering he changed color's he might need some highlights...


Speaking of...know any good leave in conditioners?

Considering he changed color's he might need some highlights...


Speaking of...know any good leave in conditioners? Originally Posted by Ghostdncer

LOL

Try Paul Mitchell

They have a great Tea Tee Line

You can get it from any Salon or the School

She's probably not looking for any conditioners that provide extra body. Perhaps you know of some that leave a good shine? And she stated in another thread that she's not into the leave-IN conditioners so I would assume she leans toward the leave-ON type.

(I'll be posting a picture of the mantis and spider as soon as I can upload it to my computer tomorrow.)

Girl - I had a tiny lizard in my bathroom the other night!

I freaked the fuck out! lol

I sprayed it with hair spray and tried to get it to go in the drain of the shower!

That thing ran and changed colors on me so fast, all I could do was to lock it the restroom.

I have no idea where that fucker went but I have been using the other bathroom because I'm scared LOL
Originally Posted by berkleigh

Girl, I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. Reminds me of my lizard story...Let's just say that I became a certified Ninja that night.

Girl, I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. Originally Posted by Reese Foster

Hairspray...

LMAO -

What was I suppose to do?
It was hairspray or Baby Powder!

I was trying not to scream! I'm such a girl! lol

Ninja is right Reese!

Why do these things ONLY come out at night???

Tia - Post your pic! I have one too!

Maybe we could get them together lol

If you happened to have a lighter with you, you could have had barbequed chameleon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV99SGXBuPQ


Or if you happened to be on the throne you could certainly try this option.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XcoF...eature=related

c.a.

If you happened to have a lighter with you, you could have had barbequed chameleon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV99SGXBuPQ


Or if you happened to be on the throne you could certainly try this option.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XcoF...eature=related

c.a. Originally Posted by Chainsaw Anthropologist

Uh huh - Nope

lol

See if there is a local animal rescue group. Evey city has one. Thye would know what to do.

TB

Slide a piece of paper under him, open the door, and throw!!! That is a let nature take it's course and don't watch it both at the same time.

Slide a piece of paper under him, open the door, and throw!!! That is a let nature take it's course and don't watch it both at the same time. Originally Posted by Go4it

Hell dude, she's braver than I am in one regard....my cute arse would have been GONE the moment I saw the spider....that thing woulda been on it's own at that point...

Unless I had tactical Nuke lying around the house somewhere...