Paratoxodera (feather mantis) and unknown toxodera sp. (dragon mantis) ootheca development in high altitudes!

Colorcham427 · Mar 27, 2012

What do you guys think about incubating the ooth starting out very close to where it was laid and collected from and then gradually change the levels.

These are paratoxodera and some other toxodera ootheca. The animals are being fed until ootheca are laid. If the possibility of incredible luck of getting just 1 ooth laid for my friend to send me will be outstanding! These are found 2500 above sea level in a heavily populated mountain range.

The scary fact is that altitude change must be a very real threat. When my friend collects para and some other toxodera sp and brings them down to his community which is only 50 above sea level, they do not last for more than a week. But when he keeps them caged up very high where he finds them, they do very well. This is very fascinating and of course very unfortunate. All the other sp of mantis he collects do just as well down where he lives!!! ###### beautiful toxodera! Why do you have to suck so much for we love you and want you in our homes! Lol

I of course have too many unanswered and I bet even discovered facts to questions such as:

What would happen to the pre-mature specimens who thrive in a very high altitude during their first 14 days of developing? What would an altitude change do exactly to a little fragile mantis that is a tiny little white rice grain!? Lol

If placed immediately into a similar level of altitude, will the nymphs evolve that quickly and be ok!!??!!?? :0 lmao!

Who knows! Lol

I am looking for an individual on here who has access to an altitude chamber or tent... You must prove it by pictures. I won't just give any individual an ultra rare captive collected from the wild oothecae! I am not positive on the other toxodera sp. I will post pix asap! I can't wait to finally see what an ooth looks like!

Mvalenz · Mar 27, 2012

An altitude chamber? Ok, now this hobby is geting a little expensive. www.higherpeak.com has them for under $3,000. You can probably find one used for much less.

Mex_Ghost · Mar 27, 2012

Here at MEx City... we are at 2250 mts above sea level =D, and at Toluca were a friend lives is a little bit higher (2680 mts above sea level)....

Mantiskid · Mar 27, 2012

I never even knew these species existed!

tier · Mar 28, 2012

Hi

I think it may be more a problem of temperature than air pressure. Just like with equatorial orchids, chameleons and so on from high altitudes. In mountain forests at the equator, it's already much cooler at daytime than in lower cities. And at nighttime it's really cool. Some mantid species tolerate a wide range, thus you can find Hierodula spp. or Tropidomantis spp. in high but also low altitude, while other species need cool forests or even mountain forests. The temperature range in Malaysia is higher between night and day than between July and December, especially in mountain forests. While in a city in low altitude, day time temperatures may be 32 degree celsius and night time temperatures are 26 celsius, in a forest on a 2500m mountain it may be 25 celsius at day time and 18 celsius in the night.

If there are altitude pressure chambers that provide fresh air, then you are right and it might be worse a try. If these chambers cannot offer fresh air circulation, better just try cool (and very cool night time) temperatures combined with perfect air circulation and an always extremely humid environment.