# Really new and need help with pretty much everything



## Some idiot1 (Nov 2, 2005)

Hi, like I said im really new and not quite sure which species to get, where to keep it, and what it would eat. I learned about keeping praying mantises from an essay i did about them in school so I know a good amount about them. Im looking for a praying mantis up to 6 inches long (i dont like big bugs... lol) that can eat a large variety of insects and is tolerable to temperatures. This is probably alot to ask for one praying mantises traits.


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## hortus (Nov 2, 2005)

lol i think 6 inches would be a record

i think chinese giants only get like 4 or 5

yanno i seem to remember someone just had a african ooth hatch

i hear they are decently easy

and i know southern useually has carolinas

get one of those 2 nd like a 2 or 3 gallon tall tank

if you order something else order when they are able to feed on crickets or you will have to raise fruit flies for anything smaller

i think its said those 2 species can be ketp at reasonable room temp

oh also i think ian might have some newzealand mantids he said they are easy was gonna order an oothca from him but hes in the UK , hes a really good guy so dont be timid


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## *RYAN* (Nov 2, 2005)

Well I think that the african mantis (S. lineola and S. centralia) are a good species they are tough little guys able survive well in room temp .. will eat just about anything (they are quite agressive tworads prey) and adults are a pretty nice size not to big .. not 6 inches hehe ....

You can keep mantids in alot of things .. alot of people actually keep them in 32 oz. deli cups or jars with a stick in it .. its better keep them in these anyway when they are small nymphs anyways so that they are able to find their food. If their enclosure is to big they can have difficulty finding their prey since most mantids dont like searching for their prey they wait for it to get close. I keep my manitds in those plastic critter cages that you see at the pet store.

As for food most people use crickets as a staple diet because they are easily aquired from a pet store and require little care. But its good for the mantid if you put bugs that you find in there for them to eat like moths, flies, buttflies anything that cant harm the mantis ...

i hope this helps


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## Lan (Nov 2, 2005)

an african mantis is a great beginner's mantis! that's what i have.  

he's real easy to care for and does just fine at room temperature. i feed him small crickets, mealworms, flies, and moths. i keep him in a small round kritter kepper, but i'll probably move him into a bigger terrarium when he gets bigger.


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## Some idiot1 (Nov 2, 2005)

I think im going to go with an African mantis, how often should you feed it? Also any idea how old yours is?


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## *RYAN* (Nov 2, 2005)

Generally I feed mine every other day except somtimes ill throw in a treat that i find him... here look at this caresheet on the african species http://www.mantiskingdom.com/lineola.php this will answer alot of your questions


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## Lan (Nov 2, 2005)

nymphs should be fed daily, but when they get older you should feed them less frequently. i feed mine about 2 crickets every other day. you can tell how full they are by looking at their abdomen. if it's big you should stop feeding it for a few days. people say they can overeat until their abdomens burst, but i'm fairly new at mantis keeping and it has never happened to me. better safe than sorry!


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## *RYAN* (Nov 2, 2005)

That mantid he has there is pretty young . look for adult pics of them they are much bigger .. hehe mine is about the same size as yours Lan what L is it ? mines about to moult im excited


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## Lan (Nov 2, 2005)

hehe i asked everyone on the forum what L it was because i didn't know myself! he's L4. i love it when they molt! hope yours has a good one! :wink:


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## hortus (Nov 2, 2005)

lan thats a pretty cool keepr thing

there none of those round here can you order them online..


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## Lan (Nov 2, 2005)

i bought it at a local petco. if there are no petcos near you then you might be able to buy it from their site.

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=1...=kritter+keeper

the only thing i don't like is the lid. i have to snap off the lid to throw in the food, and a lot of times my mantis is hanging on it. i also have to be extra careful not to pinch any part of my mantis when putting the lid back on. i think those rectangular faunariums are better because they have a hatch on top. other than that it's pretty cool and inexpensive.


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