Caring for beetle with broken leg

charmandy

charmandy

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This is my first time posting, I joined the forum to get some input on my new beetle. It's my first time owning any, though I've been interested for a few years.

I ordered him through the mail, and while my rainbow stag arrived just fine, this little guy -- named him Taku, Prosopocoilus fabricei takakuwai -- had a crack in his container. He's missing half of his right middle leg, and his right foreleg is somewhat paralyzed. He can move it at the "shoulder", but that's about it. The breeder is giving me a beetle of the same worth as compensation, but I do want to care for this one well.

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http://tsundan.tumblr.com/post/136984391138

here's a video of him walking, though he doesn't move around much. I leave him alone in his enclosure, mostly.

I tried him on substrate, but he struggled to move at all / got stuck, so I put a foam sheet in there for the time being. (That was when I got him on Saturday, though; I'm going to try him in substrate again today, since I got new, denser stuff.)

Since he can't climb, this is how I've been giving him jellies... He has a very good appetite! And poops too, lol. Since they dry out easily like this, though, I have to change the jelly slice about three times a day. I'm hoping that if he does well with this new, dense substrate, that I can switch him to a jelly holder.

Do you have any suggestions for caring for a broken beetle?

Since these are my first beetles (rainbow stag is doing great, has a more conventional housing), I worry more than might be necessary, lol.

 
There's nothing you can do except feed him and provide him with a good environment. Beetles, like most adult insects, do not molt again after becoming an adult. Molting is the only way injuries such as the ones he's sustained could be repaired. I'd suggest contacting the seller and letting them know.

 
Thanks for the info! I tried him on a dense substrate, and while I thought he would get stuck, he loves it! Even with two broken legs he can burrow into the dirt. I think he'll be okay, hopefully his lifespan isn't shortened.

The seller was very nice about it and took responsibility, so I am getting a Dorcus curvidens curvidens soon worth the same amount. I've heard they are easy to handle, which is ideal.

 
Losing leg fragments it's a normal sign of ageing in beetles, and rarely because of an accident. They may live quite sometime after losing their first fragment of the leg. Prosopocoilus fabricei takakuwai species does not live very long, particularly compared to the rainbow stags, but some of my PFT lived as long as 7-8 months.

 
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Max said:
Losing leg fragments it's a normal sign of ageing in beetles, and rarely because of an accident. They may live quite sometime after losing their first fragment of the leg. Prosopocoilus fabricei takakuwai species does not live very long, particularly compared to the rainbow stags, but some of my PFT lived as long as 7-8 months.
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Oh! It's really cool that someone else has a PFT, I've been hard pressed to find much information about them. He's still alive (pupated in November), though I have to flip him over every morning. Because his front leg is immobilized, he ends up on his back and can't move. It's pretty sad, but I put him on his food and he eats a lot.

Can I ask what the temperament/personality of your PFTs are like? My Taku does not like to be touched, but I don't know if that's because of his injury or not. If I put him on my hand (which isn't often; normally I just flip him onto his food and let him be), he just sits there and occasionally closes his mandibles with a low hissing noise. He's also pinched me a few times if I'm not careful where I put my hand, but it doesn't hurt.

It's a big difference compared by my Dorcus curvidens curvidens and rainbow stag, who are both very docile and seem to like being out of their enclosure. My Dorcus is a personal favorite, since he never even puts himself in an aggressive stance, just chills and climbs all over me.

 
While they do ship to the USA, it is still illegal, and you aren't really supposed to say where you got them from here.... The man is watching.

 
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Last year I was going to buy from Kingdom of Beetle Taiwan, they had some really cool large beetles that I had been looking for and really wanted. I wasn't too sure about the laws of importation of insects, but while I was asking Peter some questions through e-mail he asked me where I was getting it from and that it was illegal to get any imported from a different country. Luckily he did because I wouldn't have know and bought it and possibly get in trouble!

 
charmandy said:
Whoops. Thanks for the heads up.
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No problem!
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All About Insects said:
Last year I was going to buy from Kingdom of Beetle Taiwan, they had some really cool large beetles that I had been looking for and really wanted. I wasn't too sure about the laws of importation of insects, but while I was asking Peter some questions through e-mail he asked me where I was getting it from and that it was illegal to get any imported from a different country. Luckily he did because I wouldn't have know and bought it and possibly get in trouble!
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Yeah, it's illegal, not for any good reasons though. Lots of people buy from them, I personally don't mind it, just don't post where you got them from publicly or else you may get in trouble...

 
All About Insects said:
Last year I was going to buy from Kingdom of Beetle Taiwan, they had some really cool large beetles that I had been looking for and really wanted. I wasn't too sure about the laws of importation of insects, but while I was asking Peter some questions through e-mail he asked me where I was getting it from and that it was illegal to get any imported from a different country. Luckily he did because I wouldn't have know and bought it and possibly get in trouble!
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I purchased from them regardless of the laws. I really don't care. I just want a cool pet!
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Unfortunately, my larvae died soon after. So now I'm after local beetle species.

 
9-Volt said:
I purchased from them regardless of the laws. I really don't care. I just want a cool pet!
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Unfortunately, my larvae died soon after. So now I'm after local beetle species.
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Ever thought of keeping darkling beetles? They are very easy to keep and breed, and we have over 1,000 different native species. They come in almost every shape and form imaginable, and many species live several years as adults, with the longer lived species living an excess of 10 years!

 
Hisserdude said:
Ever thought of keeping darkling beetles? They are very easy to keep and breed, and we have over 1,000 different native species. They come in almost every shape and form imaginable, and many species live several years as adults, with the longer lived species living an excess of 10 years!
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I'm open to keeping just about any kind of beetle that I can find in my area, though I'm much more captivated by larger exotic species. There still isn't that much activity at bright lights around here yet, so I will see what I can find in the coming months!

 
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