Too Hot for Creos?

[sporeworld]

EDIT 1-2012:

This is a good thread for new Creo owners to read through. Plenty of opinions and viewpoints to help you make good decisions).

I have several Creo pictipennis in a glass enclosure, and all is well. Except... This enclosure is much taller than my previous one, and temps at the hot spots are almost 120f! I'm a little concerned that (a) they won't have the sense to hang elsewhere and (

they could burn their little tarsus.

Any advice out there in bugland?

 

[animalexplorer]

Lower wattage bulb or pull the light/heat source back.

 

[PhilinYuma]

120F is too hot. What is your RH? A temp like that is going to drive it way down. As you know, though, doubling the distance of yr heat source from the tank will reduce the heat by 75% according to some well known law or other, so the problem is easily solved.

I would imagine that the flies that you are providing don't like it much either!

Let us know how this batch does. As you know, I shall be getting some myself by the end of the week. Meanwhile, good luck!

 

[sporeworld]

Yeah, I pulled it back a few inches before posting, and it's down to 100. All the reading I've done suggests about 72-85 f, so that's the target. Just wanted to know if anyone thought they would ajust themselves naturally, or just hang out get crispy. The coolest spot is stil about 95f. I'm curious to see if they will gather in a particular area, and if so, which one. My Idolos always went to the hottest spot and got as close as they could tollerate.

Also, anyone notice the Creos tendency to hang out on TOP of flowers...? My Orchids did that too. When I moved them to a bamboo enclosure without flowers, they seems a little frustrated with hanging upside-down. I'm rethinking a screened top...

 

[sporeworld]

BTW, I love experiments. Not sure how the forum feels about links to other people's stuff, but this is a cool experiment that could have some interesting outcomes.

http://www.freewebs.com/gurdersmantis/ocellatagallery.htm

 

[Termite48]

I am raising some C. pictipennis also currently. I have provided for them a small net cube for their habitat. The problem with any glass enclosure is that it is the least like nature to the mantis. It is great for us, the viewer and caretaker, but for them, the net cube provides the much needed air circulation or ventilation that they so much need to cope with higher temps. Just think of it as Arizona temps with low humidity and much circulation vs. New Orleans with lower than 100 degree temps but with much humidity. Which one is more comfortable. If you cannot avoid the glass enclosure, do as Phil suggests and remove the heat source to a comfortable temp, using the formula that Phil aluded to in his comment and you can add some shade like a plant (imitation) which the mantid can use to get out of the direct artificial "sun". This is just the observation of a Mantid newbie, but Biology graduate.

 

[hibiscusmile]

That is to hot as they said, and when not used to something new, they can get heat stroke and pass away, so be careful with extreme temp exchanges. And yes they like to sit!

ps... it is 4/5 and is snowing herre!

 

[sporeworld]

Brrrrrr....

Yeah, I'll keep bringing down the temps. I'll have them in screened enclosures once they're completely off fruit flies.

 

[sporeworld]

I rotate the enclosure so there's a range of about 100 to 80 degress at the top, and no discernable pattern the wear they like to stay. They certainly don't AVOID the hot spots. They DO seems to avoid molting at the top, but that might be species spedific.

These (very) well fed pudge-pots are showing no signs of cannibalism or overt agrression. No losses, either. So far, so good.

 

[sporeworld]

Updating as I go along...

Rotated glass enclosures with mesh top only to give varying heat. Drenching the bedding at the bottom about once every 3 days. But much drier on average than probably recomended on this forum. Temps are still 100+ on the high end, and maybe 75 at the bottom (they're tall enclosures - 17" top to bottom, with 8" clearance to heat lights). No obvious avoidance of, or attractions to, any of the hotspots; although most have apparently staked out their favorite patch of tank.

No cannibalism, and very few overt acts of aggression - just "back off" lunges - then scurrying away. No tussles, no ijuries, no deaths.

Curiously (with exception), they only seem to hang upside-down when they're getting ready to molt.

Note: Even though they have plenty of house flies (they COULD handle BB's at this point), I still dump excess Hyedi (fruit flies) in their enclosure and they seem to enjoy snacking on them. Curiously, one ambitious fellow noticed how the FF's congregate at the fly-mix cup (bottom), and has taken to stalking the ground floor for FF's. I wouldn't say he PREFERS it, but he's certainly making FF's "an important part of this nutriotous breakfast"!

 

[hibiscusmile]

:blink: Well as does a goldfish with what they say is little brains, they do tend to figure out where the food comes from! Smart little fella I say! He's a keeper!

 

[sporeworld]

Ha, ha!

Something else I was wondering with these guys... They can walk on vertical glass, but are there some materials they can't or won't climb...? I can see ringing an enclosure with whatever material that might be, to keep them from just hanging from the top.

 

[sporeworld]

Monkey See, Monkey Do - I now have THREE Creos poised around the "watering hole" (dish). Pretty funny. They look like they're ice fishing (well, except that it's crazy hot).

 

[sporeworld]

Creo's... Meet Blue Bottles.

My Creo's have essentially binged on BB's, laid back in their sofas, unbuckled their belts, and took naps!

Almost positive I saw one wink and me and give me a high-five.

 

[sporeworld]

All's well in Creo land. No cannibalism yet, all transitioned to Blue Bottles, and high temps (103 at top) seem to suit them. Still no pattern to where they prefer to perch (unlike Idolos, Gongy's and now Mio's, that all congregate in the warmest place).

Humidity has been inconsistent, but relatively low (30% and under at times) with no apparent ill effects. Cage bottom got littered with Blue Bottle wings faster that I imagined. I wonder if I started powdering the flies, if the wings would be any more tempting.

These guys are probably the fastest buggers I've had to deal with - and agile. I had two escapees and man-o-man where they hard to catch! And fearless - no hesitation in diving off my hand for a nearby chair!

 

[warpdrive]

even dusted, my creos never ate the wings.

Harry

 

[sporeworld]

Hurumph! Sloppy little buggers...

 

[warpdrive]

Hurumph! Sloppy little buggers...

yeah, I gata add my adult to a clean deli tub as she makes a huge mess and is just not that clear to see through anymore.

my sub adults are the same way. total slobs.

Harry

 

[angelofdeathzz]

My Gongy are the same way, they maul the wings tips around in their mouth and then spit it out, only my budwings and Idolo's ever eat any wings and yeah it's a wing filled mess on the bottom in no time.

My guess is they taste like the poo or cold coffee. inch: :lol: