Feeding Live

pinhead · #1 09-01-2009, 08:48 PM

I don't have any problem of feeding live food to most captive animals. Crickets and crabs and even lobsters (into a pot of boiling water) are all invertebrates with no nerve endings in their exoskeletons and a very simple nervous system. Venomous snakes, tarantulas and pythons and constrictors all kill their prey quickly and humanely.

I don't know about live fish with a mantis though. They are slowly being chewed on and eaten alive until something vital is damaged. Seeing how nervous my Foxface, a clownfish being captured and eaten by a mantis would certainly be a stressful situation.

Couldn't you train it to eat crabs?

karazy · #2 09-01-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinhead

I don't have any problem of feeding live food to most captive animals. Crickets and crabs and even lobsters (into a pot of boiling water) are all invertebrates with no nerve endings in their exoskeletons and a very simple nervous system. Venomous snakes, tarantulas and pythons and constrictors all kill their prey quickly and humanely.

I don't know about live fish with a mantis though. They are slowly being chewed on and eaten alive until something vital is damaged. Seeing how nervous my Foxface, a clownfish being captured and eaten by a mantis would certainly be a stressful situation.

Couldn't you train it to eat crabs?

pinhead we have tried many many times, but as this is a spearer mantis it cant crack open crabs.
also the clown would not suffer, as the mantis jabs right through its prey usually killing almost instantly.

Doug · #3 09-01-2009, 11:08 PM

Think we could discuss this without the verbal shots at one another.

I think by the threads closed today, perhaps not, but maybe we could try.

Thanks a bunch.

JPotter · #4 09-02-2009, 01:10 AM

As creatures with exoskeletons have sensation and can sense things they come in contact with they will have sense organs and/or nerve endings in that tissue.

ElGuappo · #5 09-02-2009, 01:45 AM

all i have to say is why would any one buy a preditor if they didnt like to watch it feed. loved watching my snakes eat, and i actually fed them fish. and i had piranas and that was cool as well. in my opinion they only downside to live food is the COST. ITS CALLED THE LIFE CYCLE.... ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE. however in the wild it is usually only the sick and elderly that eaten first.

PS i had eggs for breaky ham for lunch and steak for dinner. with some veggies , which if you want to get into it are alive as well. lets not forget that things like feeder comets are BRED to be food and otherwise would not have even been born.