# Hello!



## Chessiegirl (Mar 25, 2007)

Hi!

I've been lurking here for a few weeks, gathering information about Chinese mantids after acquiring my first ooth and successfully hatching it. You've all been so helpful!

I am a university student from British Columbia and have always been obsessed with animals! I had all kinds of interesting pets as a kid including several reptiles and amphibians. Right now I am very involved in animal rescue and I have two dogs named Chester and Iska.

One of my most favorite pets as a child was an African mantid named Cicely after a mantid in a Gerrald Durrell novel. She lived to be almost a year and a half and lived on a plant in my room. When she got too old and stiff to hunt herself, I fed her with tweezers.  

So now, I felt the desire to revive my interest in mantids! They are supremely cool creatures and I currently have about 100 babies; their numbers have dropped significantly from over 200 nymphs.

They hatched in about 2 weeks, which was totally unexpected; I had left the lid off to air out their home because it had a tiny patch of mold on the bottom, and when we checked on them the next day there were babies EVERYWHERE!! It took about 6 hours to round them all up in the room...they are fast little gaffers! :lol: 

Anyways, pleased to meet you all, I am looking forward to learning a lot more on this forum!

Cheers

Caitlin


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## Ian (Mar 25, 2007)

Hey Caitlin, welcome to the forum!

I have done exactly the same thing with a Tenodera ootheca, left it out, and there were nymphs everywhere! I posted up a photo somewhere on the forum.

Anwyay, speak to you soon.


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## stevesm (Mar 25, 2007)

Hi Caitlin. I'm just starting out too. Welcome


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## Rick (Mar 25, 2007)

Welcome. You will find that with chinese especially many of the nymphs will die. You will be lucky to raise even ten to adult.


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## robo mantis (Mar 25, 2007)

Hi and welcome to the forum.


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## Chessiegirl (Mar 26, 2007)

Thanks for the welcome!


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## the mantinator (Mar 27, 2007)

welcome


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## sk8erkho (Mar 28, 2007)

Hi Caitlin!! Welcome!! Inherited my Chinese ooth in a similar way. After my nephew rescued a wayward female. She laid six ooths before she died shortly after. My nephew left the lid off to let her out around his room, came home from school to find those little guys had hatched all over the place as well. He freaked out, took the lid and tossed it into the trash. I salvaged the lid, came here for advice and the rest is mantids!!!!

You're at the right place, too!!!

Enjoy!! 8)


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## OGIGA (Mar 28, 2007)

Welcome!


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