Praying Mantids

panthro · 24 Apr 2006 at 23:08

Does anyone on the forum keep these?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantid

Im thinking of getting one, as they look pretty cool and seem to be relatively easy to maintain.

oddjob62 · 24 Apr 2006 at 23:13

There used to be a HUUUUGE thread on this. They are very cool and pretty easy to keep. Gotta keep a stock of crickets and mealworms though. Very fun to watch them hunt.

panthro · 24 Apr 2006 at 23:39

oddjob62 said:
There used to be a HUUUUGE thread on this. They are very cool and pretty easy to keep. Gotta keep a stock of crickets and mealworms though. Very fun to watch them hunt.

Cool, does that thread still exist? I cant find it....but I have been told many times that I "look through my backside."

danza · 25 Apr 2006 at 00:05

I used to keep mantids at one time!

Sphodromantis are a good Genus to shop from. Quite large and are rather impressive when adult. Some species grow upto I'd guess 4" long.

Very easy to keep, but need things to climb/hang from such as twigs/plants/fake plants to aid moulting. They're quite entertaining when you give them a woodlouse to munch. They don't like them and fling them away! Also, if you get a male, beware that it may well fly rather well! Females are generally bulkier and less adept in the air.

shimy182 · 25 Apr 2006 at 00:30

they are everywhere outside tokyo in japan
i used to play with em all the time.
i cought and kept one until i got bored of one... i just let it run off.

i think there really easy to keep. as long as you keep a fresh tree branch in there it should live.
feed it jelly.

nikebee · 25 Apr 2006 at 03:03

ooh ohh... i saw one of them when i went to visit my brother in Denver (Colorado)... we were getting the train back from a Rockies game and it was just standing there on the platform (about 9 at night if i recall) looking at everyone... went up to take a picture of it and it buggered off..

they always sound/look very cool though...