Do you keep records on your mantids?

[God]

I'm currently at Nottingham University doing Zoology in my third year undertaking my third year project. My project involves praying mantids and the information which can be gathered from hobbyist/amateur entomologist records. As a part of what I'm doing, I need to gather as much information as I can from people like you guys. Do you keep records of your mantids? Any records at all would be of use (particularly those of females and breedings, although as I say ANY records will be of great use). If you do keep these records would I possibly be able to view or get a copy of them? If they are in hard copy would you possibly be able to photocopy any of them? Obviously I'll pay for the photocopying and reimburse you for your time (this will be out of my own pocket, the uni's funding is a tad lacking shall we say). I think the project may be of interest to the mantid enthusiasts amongst us, and obviously a copy of the finished piece can be sent to you if you contribute and would like to see it.

Suffice to say theres a huge number of you here who breed mantids, and I imagine alot keep records (even if there as messy and eratic as my own...), honestly, any records at all would be of massive use. Please feel free to reply here and I'll get in touch, or you could pm me, etc.

Thanks in advance,

Dan

 

[Katnapper]

If you are God, wouldn't you know all this already?

 

[God]

Sadly its just a username in the same way santa or the tooth fairy would be

Theres a dig at religion in there somewhere...

 

[Rick]

Don't keep any myself. I used to but I find doing all that ruins it as a hobby.

 

[Ntsees]

I also don't keep records of my mantids. Everything I learn either stays in my head or just gets forgotten. Anyways, your project seems a little different. In my experience with regards to biology and Universities, a project requires testing and conducting experiments on specimens/etc. because the professors want data and results. I don't think they'll accept the experiences of people in the mantid hobby as part of a project. But, I don't know your overall project and so good luck.

 

[kamakiri]

I'm a relatively new member here, but I have kept some records posted here. You'll have to search for them.

Most of my actual records are writing on the mantis' enclosure, so much of it gets lost if I do not post it here.

At least it's free!

 

[ismart]

I always tell myself to take records, but with everything going on it's practically impossible!

 

[beckyl92]

yen saws site would be useful for you it has breeding diarys and caresheets.

can someone link it?

 

[ABbuggin]

usamantis.com

 

[God]

Let me tell you a little bit more about what I’m doing (although I can only tell you so much as I only know so much myself...) and treat it as an excuse to bump up my thread

In march this year the most comprehensive species level mantis phylogeny to date was released, its about 300 species strong (most of which I haven’t even heard of...) and a really recommended read for those academically minded (I find it a really heavy read and I’m “supposed to be used to scientific literature”). What I am trying to do is collect as much information from keepers, including their records and measurements, and see how this information can be compared to the molecular phylogeny we currently have. At the moment I’m struggling for data, I need to get as much as I can, the hope being it correlates somehow with the phylogeny, or can provide extra insight on it.

Right now thats all I can really say, I won’t be able to give more information until I have more data so have a grasp of the kind of information I am working with, which will mostly include growth and fecundity information, I assume.

Thanks for the help so far guys, a couple of you have proved invaluable but please I need as many records as I can get my greasy little hands on.

 

[Kruszakus]

Don't keep any myself. I used to but I find doing all that ruins it as a hobby.

How does keeping records ruins a hobby?

 

[PhilinYuma]

How does keeping records ruins a hobby?

Good question. I'm not sure whether or not this is true for Rick, but for many of us, it ruins the hobby if we enjoy keeping mantids but not records.

Often, our behaviors are valid,without being particularly rational. Everyone knows Swift's claim that we are "animal rationis capax," but sometimes we forget that he was refuting not Aristotle's judgment that we are zoon legon eonch (Heidegger would bash away at that a hundred years later), but that we are "animal rationale."

If someone were to ask you, "Why do you use outdated and sometimes inaccurate Ebonics on the forum?" All you have to say is, "because I want to!" It is as simple as that.