Stick (my mantis) needs a pair of dentures, it seems...

[kage no neko]

I know, it must sound super silly.. but it appears he can't threw through the skin of crickets anymore.

I noticed he was having a difficult time climbing, so I took him out to play with him. One of his back legs has obviously been chewed in half by a cricket, and the front leg (not the claw, but the part he uses to walk with) is broken. It's bent wrong and he can't walk on it. Clearly means I can't leave crickets in with him for his own convenience anymore.

I tried to offer him a cricket and he refused it. But then he went on to try to nibble at my pants, robe, and then finally my finger. First time he's ever bitten me when I'm not holding food. Decided to try to stun the cricket... still refused the cricket. In my attempts to stun the cricket I accidentally broke the cricket open, exposing guts...

Oh look, easy to chew, easy access of delicious guts... He grabbed it immediately and got right to work.

Whew. At least there's still a way to get him to eat. Here I thought it might be almost his time! I mean, the frost outside has long since past so all of his friends/relatives are dead.

But.. anyone have any idea where I can get a pair of mantis dentures?  

[Shanna66]

try ebay XD

im glad you can still get him to eat. i was about to suggest cutting the crickets open before i finished reading your post  

[Krissim Klaw]

Honestly, there is nothing about your initial post that points to a mouth problem. If he was nibbling at you however there is a good chance he was thirsty. More likely than not he was probably distracted when he was out and thus not keying into the cricket you were trying to get him to eat. If it is an older mantis toward the end of his/her life, then they tend to slow down hunger wise. Not sure if it is male or female, but males eat pretty sporadically to begin with once they reach adulthood.