How can you tell if a mantis is happy?

[Curiosity]

I was reading through another mantis forum and I found several entries that said things like "Her favorite food is. . . " or "She gets really excited about. . ." and I was wondering how you can tell.

 

[MantisMart]

Try to read how they react to things, for example;

 Do they like climbing and are energetic?
 

if they enjoy socializing and climbing, ect, there probably happy.

Also, think about what makes you happy, eating, drinking, space to have fun, mantids kinda work the same way.

keep them well fed and energetic. Of corse before molts they will stand still, also when hunting, but just try to read there reactions to things. Hope that helped

 

[ghostparadoxa]

I think about that a lot too, but it makes sense in simpler terms. For example, I do think my Ghost has a “favorite” spot in her tank, which just so happens to be where I usually drop food, or where she can spot movement from other critters. I love to give my mantises honey because they seem genuinely excited by it, but it’s pure sugar, so of course they do. And when I have one sit on my arm for a long time, I assume it’s because I’m warm and feel good.

But what is happiness other than, primitively, an animal living in optimal conditions? Maybe we assign too many human traits to them, but it seems to me that when people do so, they’re usually doing something right.

 

[hysteresis]

I'm pretty sure mantises aren't capable of emotion. 

 

[MantisMart]

I'm pretty sure mantises aren't capable of emotion. 

That might be true...

But mine love to come out, and will only come out once they see my face and recognize it's me.

You might be right, but I think God gave mantids the ability to prefer certain humans over others. And also prefer certain things/activities over others.

They can be scared, so I think they can also be happy.

 

[MantisMart]

That might be true...

But mine love to come out, and will only come out once they see my face and recognize it's me.

You might be right, but I think God gave mantids the ability to prefer certain humans over others. And also prefer certain things/activities over others.

They can be scared, so I think they can also be happy.

Wow. Im going through my old comments and dang I have learned a lot in the past 5 months lol. Just 5 months ago I thought mantids could recognize people  

 

[Mantid-Tim]

Wow. Im going through my old comments and dang I have learned a lot in the past 5 months lol. Just 5 months ago I thought mantids could recognize people  

What makes you think they can't? I handle my mantises every single day, and my girlfriend and other friends that come and visit notice the mantises prefer me to them. Maybe I've just gotten better at handling them?

 

[MantisMart]

What makes you think they can't? I handle my mantises every single day, and my girlfriend and other friends that come and visit notice the mantises prefer me to them. Maybe I've just gotten better at handling them?

Mantids dont have the ability to recognize people. But it's totally fine if you want to believe that. My mantis did that too but it's because you have learned how to better handle them.

 

[Mantid-Tim]

Mantids dont have the ability to recognize people. But it's totally fine if you want to believe that. My mantis did that too but it's because you have learned how to better handle them.

The fact that I handle them better is what I lean more towards in belief. I don't dismiss the possibility that they can recognize us by sight or smell though, but I wouldn't say that I do believe it.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

The fact that I handle them better is what I lean more towards in belief. I don't dismiss the possibility that they can recognize us by sight or smell though, but I wouldn't say that I do believe it.

Their eyes are formulated to detect movement, not features that distinguish one human from another. Often small quick movement is the trigger to a food response and a larger quick movement is a gateway to fear and defense. Antennae are used to detect heat, pheromones, and air currents. They also have basic eyes to detect light and dark to trigger night and day eyes.

 

[Mantid-Tim]

Antennae are used for smell, right? But I agree that its unlikely they can distinguish one human from another.

 

[MrGhostMantis]

Not really smell, sensing most likely.

 

[Mantid-Tim]

So just certain things like pheromones.... Interesting. 

 

[MrGhostMantis]

So just certain things like pheromones.... Interesting. 

Yeah, mainly pheromones. And have you seen how they move their antennae toward prey when it moves? They likely can sense air currents from their prey moving.

 

[Mantid-Tim]

Yes I have noticed that, and always assumed it was smelling it, LOL. But interesting topic for sure. You learn something new every day....