Praying Mantises

[Samba]

Hello All! Just wondering if anyone else keeps praying mantises as pets? I have one... nothing special, just a regular green praying mantis.

I once saw one from Madagascar for sale in a pt shop for $40.00!!!

Anyone know the lifespans of such insects? The only other praying mantis I owned lived for about a year before dying of natural causes. (Apparently it was a female, I bred her on 'accident' and she laid an eggcase. She stopped eating and died shortly after...)

If you don't breed them do they live longer? Thanks for your interest... I'll try and post pix tomorrow!!!

[bistrobob85]

I would own praying mantises if i could feed them on rat pups!! The sad thing about them is that their lifespan isnt much over a single year... It's actually better if you breed them and have a new generation after your initial ones die... Can't wait for the pics, i just love them!

phil.

[meow_mix450]

they die in about 5 months, or the winter kills them; well here in scarborough anyways, after they're done laying the eggs they will die, just the way of life, when you have the egg case they need a cooling period, that would be winter and comes spring they will hatch. I made the mistake of not coolign them and they all died. Neat little guys, the male may live longer cause it doesnt have to deal with any egg laying.

Meow

[jmkhets]

i actually just bought an egg pod from the pet store in my area for 7 dollars i guess its supposed to hatch out up to 3 hundred of the little buggers...lunch time for my beardie

[Samba]

Thanks, guys! My first experience with keeping a praying mantis was when I was very young... I guess you could say it was MY first real pet (something that was my responsibility, not the family's). Anyhow, I had her for about a year, watched her grow and took the best of care of her. Since I was young and dumb I decided one day to find her a 'friend.' Too bad I succeeded, because she destroyed what was apparently a male. I felt guilty about it, and months later she made an eggcase. She stopped eating about that time, and died soon after. The babies hatched, and I really did nothing special for them. They just stayed indoors during the winter at room temp.

Anyways, "Prayer" is my second praying mantis as a pet, and I want to do what I can to prolong her lifespan... she is just a joy to observe and interact with. I will post pix soon!!! Thanks!!!

[meow_mix450]

i want one but there no more in my area!:( no none for me, maybe someone wanna get me one and meet me at the reptile show?:p doesnt hurt to try

Meow

[the_frog_man]

i just got 8 african mantids that i am selling soon and there super kool

[herpslave]

I found a praying mantis/d just today. it is brown, looks like a long light brown grasshopper with these black circles with white in the middle of them on his/her armpits. he/she is in my ten gallon eating crickets right now with tweazers.

[Samba]

Cool! I just 'found' another last night myself, a male. He's in my bathroom, though, I don't want to have to clean up after my female after she has her way with him!! He actually found me, though... I was walking outside and he flew right up and landed on my arm... I wonder if maybe he was attracted to the scent of Prayer on me. (I had been handling her earlier that day). Who knows... it's cool you found one too, that make very interesting pets!!! =)

[latazyo]

dont' they just fly away then if you're handling them Samba?

[meow_mix450]

not always, some will just stay on your arm. Me and my friends use to train grasshoppers to not let them jump away. so if you scared it, it wont jump, you could be walking and it would jsut stay there

Meow

[Samba]

No, the male was content to stay perched on my shoulder as I walked in my apartment, and he seemed to make himself very comfortable in the bathroom sitting on my plants, looking for flies (they congregate there because it's warm... there aren't any anywhere else in my apartment). Prayer is in her 5 gallon tank, all set up nicely for the little princess that she is; so the male is safe... =)

P.S. I don't think my female can fly... she's much, much bigger than the photos I posted of her earlier... The male is thin and can fly... but so far he just sits and waits... it's kinda creepy to use the bathroom now with him all staring at me... LOL =)