Hiding Mantis

[jedimpt]

Why does my mantis block his burrow entrance? My mantis has a burrow under a piece of LR and seems to block the entrance at night even though the only other organisms in the tank are the shrimp he eats. Is this a common thing for everyones mantis?

[dwarfatize]

it doesn't realize that there is nothing that could hurt him. it is instinct.

[Gonodactylus]

Not all stomatopods block their entrances, but most do. This is particularly common in Gonodactylids like Gonodactylus smithii, Neogonodactylus wennerae, etc. Other species such as Odontodactylids usually only block their entrances when molting.

Roy

[ksrinlv]

Mine blocked the main hole in his rock last week when he disappeared for a few days, I assume he was molting. He now changes the "door" nearly every day, one day it's blocked with shells, another day with rocks, another with a big hunk of macro algae. It's been hilarious watching him trying to block the entrance this afternoon, he just can't get it blocked to his satisfaction! What a cool pet.