i gots me a preying mantis...

[wonder_chunky]

today i was serchin for grasshoppers for my chams when i came across a praying mantis!...he isnt full grown but he is about 1.5-2 inches. i took him home and put him in a 10gal with a small grasshopper and some ants i found in my room (i have a little infestation goin on) do people actually keep these? i find it kinda cool....it looks lie an alien! i'll name it sigourny weaver (lol)

thanks,

[Jaylyn]

Neat! I didn't know they were native there!! A girlfriend of mine is volunteering in Namibia - and says they are huge and thick there! But, aren't you going to feed it - perfect cham food! LOL

Jaylyn

[Quervo]

I was going to ask if anyone here kept mantids.

Yes, they are native to eastern Canada. They like to have a slightly humid cage (especially when molting .. which they do about 8 times till they are adult) and something at least three times as high as they are long .. so that they have room to hang upside down when they molt. Moss is a good substrate as it holds some moisture for them.

Little guys can start on fruit flies, then progress to crickets, flies, moths and finally to big crickets, flies, moths and some of them even eat small frogs, lizards and birds !! .. not that I would feed those .. I would keep them myself.

Some people do feed the small ones to lizards and such, but when they get bigger they tend to fight back.

You can find out if it is male or female by counting the segments on it's thorax. 7 or 8 is male and 6 is female (i think)

They are a hoot to keep, interesting to watch, and quite handleable, just don't pick them up .. convince them to walk onto your hand.

[wonder_chunky]

nice...yeah he/she was on my hand earlier..but he's a jumper...its in a 10 gal right now with some sticks and fake vines right now until i can make a descent enclosure for him...i just was making sure that it'd live in captivity and if people actually keep em and know what to do....for moss...could i go to a nearby forest thats away from alot of pollution and such and get some moss from the ground there??? i found alot at work but its in a field that was most likey sprayed. if so i'll go get some moss and put it in there...i also want moss for a vivarium..

thanks,

[Linds]

Yup, we have loads of praying Mantis here in Ontario, and people do keep them as pets. Egadz, nasty little buggers though in my experience. Been bitten yet?

[wonder_chunky]

nope...havent been bitten...but this guy is small so it prolly wouldnt hurt yet...do you think he'd even live?...or would it just die?

[Quervo]

Good heavens Linds .. have we found a critter you don't want??

lol

They would fill that last 3 inches of room you have.


Wonder .. I would think that wild moss would be all right, that's what I've been using for mine. They are jumpers .. until they get wings .. then they fly. .. well, the males fly, the females tend to be a bit too bulky for their wing size. They will live for around 6 months to a year depending on the species. I think the ones native to Canada live for about 8 or 9 months.

You should try to get a mate for it .. then you will get an egg case .. and then it will hatch out about 200 babies:jawdrop: lol
but don't worry .. they tend to eat each other, you usually end up with 30 or so.