Newbie Questions

[Tiara]

Hi There all of you! I am brand new at this! I only have one mantid :huh: but I want to take care of him the absolute best I can. Hes such a cute little bugger! I have him in a hexagon tank, Its very big for him. Probably the equivialant to maybe a 2gal? I have coconut fiber on the bottom two sticks for him to climb around on and a fake plant. (He spends most of his time upside down in the leaves, He blends right in!!) He is eating one baby cockroach a day and I have been lightly misting him almost every day. I am just wondering, How long will he live? I know it is hard to tell how old they are but as a general rule from start to finish. When is he going to molt? Like what signs should I look for? Should I keep it more moist when he is going to molt? Should he have a water bowl? What about excercise? He seems to love to come out and sit on my should while I do things. He just hangs out. Is that ok? Im sorry all these questions probably sound very silly but, I just want to make him very happy! I have very spoiled animals so he will not be treated any less. BTW he is a Heirodulla Patelllifera. There are a couple of crappy pics of him in the intro section. Thankyou again!!

~Chantell~

 

[Rick]

He can live several months. Keep the substrate slightly moist by misting every other day. It can be hard for a beginner to tell the signs of molting but generally they stop eating for a couple days prior. They might appear swollen a bit right before they molt too. A water bowl is not needed. Keep the substrate slightly miost as I said by misting every other day or so. Mist daily if the substrate dries out fast. I personally feel it is not good to handle mantids often.

 

[Katnapper]

Tiara, I don't think handling him occasionally hurts anything, but you wouldn't want to do it constantly... might stress him. He doesn't really need "exercise" per say (like we think of it), but it seems to me that getting him out to stretch his legs and be out in the open once in a while wouldn't necessarily be bad for him. You do need to be careful around, and a day or two after, his molt time (if he's not an adult yet). When they molt they are very sensitive to disturbance, and afterwards are very tender and vulnerable to injury. I wouldn't handle him until a couple of days after he molts, if he does.

 

[obregon562]

Welcome to the world of MANTISES!

Keep your substrate moist, but not too wet. Try keeping him under a desk light for warmth and humidity. I have handling mantids bulds a stronger, happier mantis, so no worries there. Does he have wings? If not anywhere from 1 to 3 months would be my guess. Misting more before/after molting has caused problems for my bugs, so i would refrain from it. The only reason for a bowl would be for looks, as he would not use it.

Hope this helps!

Frankie

 

[Katnapper]

Misting more before/after molting has caused problems for my bugs, so i would refrain from it.

Obregon, what problems have you experience with misting before or after molting?

 

[Rick]

Obregon, what problems have you experience with misting before or after molting?

Yes, please explain. Also I personally feel you're wrong about the handling of mantids. When I was much younger I held them all the time and carried them around. It's not good for them, trust me.

 

[Tiara]

Thanks guys! Only 1 to 3 months?! Thats a lot of heart break! Im already attached! He doesnt have wings yet, but it kind of looks like they are starting to come in, if that makes sense? The tank looks like it is holding humidity very well so, I will play it by ear when I mist him. How warm are they soposed to be? He is in my bedroom, which stays really warm, probably like 70. I have a reptile room I could put him in which would be warmer, closer to 75-80 do to all the lights and heat pads. It is also humid in there. Should he eat every day? I noticed, he didnt finish his roach yesturday. Is that normal? Was he just full? I know I probably sound rediculous, but now that I only have a few months with him I want to make him very, very happy!

Thankyou,

~Chantell~

 

[kamakiri]

What species is he? If he's not an adult yet, I'd say he should live at least 3 more months...

 

[Rick]

Thanks guys! Only 1 to 3 months?! Thats a lot of heart break! Im already attached! He doesnt have wings yet, but it kind of looks like they are starting to come in, if that makes sense? The tank looks like it is holding humidity very well so, I will play it by ear when I mist him. How warm are they soposed to be? He is in my bedroom, which stays really warm, probably like 70. I have a reptile room I could put him in which would be warmer, closer to 75-80 do to all the lights and heat pads. It is also humid in there. Should he eat every day? I noticed, he didnt finish his roach yesturday. Is that normal? Was he just full? I know I probably sound rediculous, but now that I only have a few months with him I want to make him very, very happy!Thankyou,

~Chantell~

In that case I would put him in the reptile room. With those temps you DO NOT need a heat source just for the mantis.

 

[shorty]

Thanks guys! Only 1 to 3 months?! Thats a lot of heart break! Im already attached!

Some mantids can live a year from birth to death with proper care. Note that keeping him in a bit colder temperatures and feeding him a bit less can extend his life as it lowers his metabolism. I bet it will live three to four more months, but that's just a wild guess. Some can live that long past adulthood, though I don't know about your particular species. Also, there is a chance that it could die because of other circumstances besides old age. He can have a bad molt, get sick, get overfed, get accidentally crushed (yeah it happens), and a number of other things. Just be careful during/after molts and study mantid care online. In all likelihood, he will probably live a long happy life. Good luck raising him!

Oh yeah, if it's a male it won't live quite as long as if it were a female. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.)