Bringing Mantis on a Plane

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Mantis Man13

Mantis Man13

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Location
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I was going to bring my Dead Leaf mantis with me when I go to Oregon on a plane, but I don't know if it is allowed. Has anyone had an experience of bringing mantis on a plane before? Also, would the altitude kill the mantis?

 
Mantids are not considered exotic pets according to ORS 609.319 (definition is 609.305) so you won't have permit issues, however airlines can enforce whatever policies they want (within legal limits of course), and employees can (and likely will) misunderstand their own policies so regardless of who tells you what you could suddenly find yourself totally jammed up while trying to board/enter. I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if they had a policy allowing beneficial insects yet half the employees would say a mantid is not among that group.

I'd recommend mailing him to your destination. If you need someone to watch him for a few days you can send him here and I can forward him to where you are staying after you get in or you could pick him up after landing. Are you arriving at PDX?

 
I would't try it. From what I have seen even some foods are not allowed in the planes. Oh, and probably not kill the mantis to be in the plane with you because I think the environment is closed from the outside so that humans and the mantis could live.

 
Is there any chance I can make a copy of paper ORS 609.319 to show the security or something? I don't have anyone to watch my mantis because everyone who has done it in the past is very frustrated because of how much care they have to give my mantis. Do you think I could mail the mantis to someone on this forum that is trustworthy and would return the mantis? If it would help I could pay someone to mantis-sit my mantis. I am going to leave in October.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mantis Man13 said:
Is there any chance I can make a copy of paper ORS 609.319 to show the security or something? I don't have anyone to watch my mantis because everyone who has done it in the past is very frustrated because of how much care they have to give my mantis. Do you think I could mail the mantis to someone on this forum that is trustworthy and would return the mantis? If it would help I could pay someone to mantis-sit my mantis. I am going to leave in October.
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I almost feel like you should re-read my post because I think I covered this, but I'll recap for you. Even if legally you can bring and keep a mantis in Oregon, the airline may not allow it on a plane (which is a totally separate, private sector, and arbitrary policy). You could present the statutes, ten testimonials, and a signed letter from the CEO of the airline saying you can bring a mantis on, and the "by the book" employee at boarding could shut you down for one of a hundred reasons. Maybe you'd be right and they'd be wrong, but you're the one missing your flight while arguing. There is no silver bullet to get past airport security.

If you are arriving at PDX you can send him here and either pick him up after landing (I'm 30-40 minutes from PDX airport) or I could mail him to your hotel/guest-house/friends-house/etc.

 
depending on its age if its a adult it may or may not live through october but could be wrong

 
Where in Oregon are you going to? I can receive it for you in the mail if you want and just have you come pick it up when you get here. I'm in Corvallis, and don't worry I wouldn't do this to get an extra dead leaf mantis. I have a gazillion of them.

 
I am not going anywhere near Corvallis, I might just end up mailing the mantis to my friends in Oregon. Also, I know you wouldn't take my Dead Leaf, as you sold me the mantises in the first place and obviously have a lot! Also, you reminded me about something I was going to ask you. When my Dead Leaf female is an adult would you be willing to sell a male to me to mate her with?

 
Make one of your friends take care of that mantis and teach your friend some things about the mantis and give him the feeders for the mantis. It is probably a bad idea to go against the law. They maybe keep a record of you.

 
My friends do not like to keep my mantises it takes too much work and they won't do it anymore. How would it be against the law to ship my mantis when Aryia shipped the mantis to me as well when I bought my mantis?

 
I don't see where legality entered the mix, but don't worry about it, Oregon isn't concerned with mantids (our exotic pet laws do not cover insects). Mail it straight to your friends 1 or 2 day and do the same thing to get her home at the end of your trip. I can mantis-sit if you want but that's just an extra stop if your friends can take her in directly.

 
I've seen ppl bring their tarantulas and other misc. pets on the plane with them ...so maybe it'll be fine...so i guess if you claim your Deroplatys sp. is your pet, then it would be ok? (tentative answer)

But it couldnt hurt to call the airline company, the airport your are departing from and the TSA to get an "a-okay!"

 
Honestly speaking, if you put it in your checked luggage, no one is going to notice. It's not like dead leaf mantises bounce and yowl and scream, they kind of just sit there and don't move. They won't have a heat signature either and neither will they look like anything suspicious in an X-ray scan. I mean.. they imitate sticks and leaves. As far as I know airline officials have never opened my check in luggage before, only when flying in internationally into San Francisco have my bags ever been opened for absolutely no reason.

How long are you going to be gone for? Dead leaves can go quite a while without food if you've been taking care of them well.

And yes I should have plenty of males, though it does depend on when she'll hit adult I guess : )

 
I am going to be gone for ten days. Also, do you have any tips to make her molt faster? She is still L6 after a month, and I want her to be an L8 adult already!

 
Incase you do not know keep her warm and feed her some so that her metabolism is sped up. Just do not put her in sunlight in a sealed container because that will probably kill her.

 
happy1892 said:
Incase you do not know keep her warm and feed her some so that her metabolism is sped up. Just do not put her in sunlight in a sealed container because that will probably kill her.
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Yes heat and food. For Dead Leaf species I wouldn't go above 85, but if you can hold 82-85 constantly and keep ventilation and humidity up (80%) that would be safe and effective.

 
I feed her every other day because she is not hungry enough to feed everyday. I feed her only moths, pretty much. Do I need to get a heating lamp? Also, I spray her cage every other day. Please tell me what to do.

 

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