# Afraid to hold my manis



## Devarin24 (Sep 8, 2007)

ok, so i found a new zealand mantis ( in colorado ) 2 nights ago, i got him a cage, and fed him, and all that fun stuff,( thank you mantisplace.com for having a "mantis care" section lol) but i'm a little afraid to try and hold him or even stick my hand in his cage. he seems to like me, but again i found him.

main question is, will he try and attack me like he would his food? if so,

can the raptoral claw things go through my skin or should i maybe wear gloves first few times until he gets used to me? maybe not try and hold him at all?


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## Precious (Sep 8, 2007)

When the mantid is large, I stress about handling them. I got pinched by a female (and some can pierce, but nothing serious) and I freaked and slung her across the room. Just reflex. Luckily, she was fine but now (if I'm worried) I remove them with a stick and let them crawl onto my hand.


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## hibiscusmile (Sep 8, 2007)

Yea I agree with precious, so use a pair of gloves, this way it gives you the opportunity to hold it, but you have protection too. I do not think they hurt as much as frighten the bejussueee out of you :shock: When I am holding one and it decides to jump towards me or fly at me I still scream like a girl, which of course I am one lol ... then like her I promptly throw it across the room, which could land on anyone near by. haaahaha :wink: Is much fun!


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## Devarin24 (Sep 8, 2007)

yeah, i agree with both of you, i just didnt want to kill it in case it does stab me and i throw it lol. he isn't very big, maybe 2-3 inches but he can run pretty fast. it's my first mantis so i am just a little weary about him


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## OGIGA (Sep 8, 2007)

Whatever you do, don't pick up a mantis. Let it walk onto your hand. If you pick it up, it'll want to grab you and may even bite you! Anyway, a mantis is sometimes strong enough to pierce your skin, but it has never happened to me.


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## Precious (Sep 8, 2007)

One time, a female Chinese zoned in on my wedding ring. She was sitting on my hand and she draws back, curls that abdomen and prepares to strike at my ring! I wanted her off of me but it happened so fast! Eeeeeeek. Again, it didn't hurt but it freaky!


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## Andrew (Sep 8, 2007)

> Whatever you do, don't pick up a mantis. Let it walk onto your hand. If you pick it up, it'll want to grab you and may even bite you! Anyway, a mantis is sometimes strong enough to pierce your skin, but it has never happened to me.


What he said.


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## joossa (Sep 9, 2007)

I have been bitten, stirked at, and pinched by my mantis, but it doesn’t hurt at all. I think the scare and psychological factor kick in and make the overall experience negative. As stated above let the mantid walk onto your hand.

Also I suggest giving the mantid a bit more time to settle in. After a while, their stress goes away and they become more calm and tame.


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## Krissim Klaw (Sep 9, 2007)

I've never been bitten or attacked by a mantis, not even from the few wild ones I handled. If the mantis isn't curling its butt and splaying its claws, that is probably a pretty good sign it isn't too bothered by you. If you are squeemish though I would suggest gloves. The last thing you want to do is freak out if something happens and hurt the poor bug.

Like everyone says, don't try to grab the mantis but let it crawl on your hand. I usually find it is easiest to coax them out of the cage and then let them crawl on my hand. A lot of times they seem startled by my hands appearing in the cage but as soon as they are out in the open and get me in their sights they calm right down.

Also beware that mantises can and will jump (or fly if adults). They seem especially attracted to faces and I have gotten many mantis hugs from them leaping and landing on my face. Never attack though, just seem curious. Might want to keep your face far back if your the nervous type. It's just never bothered me and even when surprised I have never felt the need to swat at them.

If you are worried, you can also get some rill soft fluffy feathers, like they make for boas or the end of cat toys. Most mantises can't stand fluffy things touching them and if ever attacked you could gently fluff it in their face to make them release while at the same time keeping from hurting them in the process.


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## AFK (Sep 9, 2007)

joosa, i like you avatar. it is cute


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## Morpheus uk (Sep 9, 2007)

Okay i didnt read only sped read :roll:

But i reckon its ok to handle any mantis!

They only have to bite if thier are hurt, the first thing they`ll do is flash the undersides of there arms or wings, THEN they might "attack" you, just gently coax the mantis on your hand by holding your hand in front of it and gently touch the back legs, i dont c the problem with holdin mantids in, ive never been harmed by any of my inverts, well got spiked a few times by my jungle nymphs and new guiney spinys, but didnt feel a thing really


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## chrisboy101 (Sep 9, 2007)

if they choose to walk on your hand i highly doubt they'll hurt u but if u grab at it, well its going to be pretty pissed of lol


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## Orin (Sep 9, 2007)

> ok, so i found a new zealand mantis ( in colorado )


What makes you think you found a New Zealand mantis? I'm guessing Colorado is not a city in New Zealand.


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## Mantida (Sep 9, 2007)

If your mantis is male then generally you don't have to worry about it. Males are way less aggressive than females are.

I used to have a female Chinese mantis who was EXTREMELY aggressive. I would always wear hoodies and pull my arm inside to hold her. :lol: She would attack the cloth sometimes but never hurt me.

Usually, attacks happen when you're holding an aggressive mantis and they see your finger twitch. I've had that happen before and my female attacked my finger. It didn't hurt a lot, but it delivered quite a pinch. If that happens I usually place my finger under the neck of the mantis and hold him or her back to prevent them from biting me until I get my trusty water sprayer.


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## Rick (Sep 9, 2007)

Welcome to the site. Please make an introduction in the introductions forum. Just allow the mantis to crawl onto your hand. There is nothing to be afraid of.


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## Mantida (Sep 9, 2007)

> Welcome to the site. Please make an introduction in the introductions forum. Just allow the mantis to crawl onto your hand. There is nothing to be afraid of.


Oh, I already introduced myself a month ago, but then went semi-inactive. :wink:


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## AFK (Sep 9, 2007)

mantida, you too. i like your avatar as well


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## Devarin24 (Sep 10, 2007)

> > ok, so i found a new zealand mantis ( in colorado )
> 
> 
> What makes you think you found a New Zealand mantis? I'm guessing Colorado is not a city in New Zealand.


i spent 4 hours online id'ing it.

he is green, so i searched all the green ones. then i searched by the body type and markings on him, and so far the only mantis that has blue ovals on the insides of his front legs and that matches what he looks like is a New Zealand mantis.

there are a lot of places where you can order exotic mantids or out of country mantids here in the USA, so i figured someone must have bought one. Could have bred it and let the babies lose or something of that sort, happens a lot with plants and animals alike now-a-days.


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## Andrew (Sep 10, 2007)

Can you post a pic?


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## Precious (Sep 10, 2007)

> If your mantis is male then generally you don't have to worry about it. Males are way less aggressive than females are.I used to have a female Chinese mantis who was EXTREMELY aggressive. I would always wear hoodies and pull my arm inside to hold her. :lol: She would attack the cloth sometimes but never hurt me.
> 
> Usually, attacks happen when you're holding an aggressive mantis and they see your finger twitch. I've had that happen before and my female attacked my finger. It didn't hurt a lot, but it delivered quite a pinch. If that happens I usually place my finger under the neck of the mantis and hold him or her back to prevent them from biting me until I get my trusty water sprayer.


When that female struck at my ring she'd been walking around, looking at everything, just hanging out and something changed. Maybe the light hit my ring or I moved, whatever - it's what they do. I didn't handle her directly again, for her sake.


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## sk8erkho (Sep 12, 2007)

Yes! it can be scary at first attempting to handle your first mantis. And it is even scarier when it is wild caught. Just so happens that 2 Sundays ago I caught a Huge Chinese female and only due to here size was I a bit intimidated by her. Since I have had her, I stroke her on her back gently, daily. I have been doing this to all of my mantids for as long as I can remember as well as gently blowing on them as I begin to attempt to handle them. It was just something my little 8 yr. old noticed a while back. He would blow on them softly and they would begin to rock side to side or rock back and forth and then he'd take his little hand and carefully coax the mantis onto his little finger. They were maybe L2-3 at that time I'd imagine. He has yet to get attacked. But, it really is scary when they are sitting there on your hand and just checking out the area and then something changes which is just enough to startle the little dudes. Getting them off of your hand is the only thing you can think about at that time . When that abdomen flips over and they rear back in that striking position that's when the nervousness sets in, maybe even panick. And I have had the same exact reflex when they strike me.... flip....acrosss the room!!! I keep the spray bottle near.


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## OGIGA (Sep 12, 2007)

I let mantises walk all over me. They really like being in my hair.


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