Keep a Praying Mantis with a Ball Python?

I'm very passively thinking about branching into praying mantises. I've done some prelim research, and it turns out that the more exotic and beautiful species have temp and humidity requirements that are very similar to ball pythons. Balls don't eat insects, and mantises couldn't possibly pose a threat to a ball, so the thought occurred, why not house them together in the same T8?

Has anyone tried this? Could it cause stress for the ball? I wouldn't think it would as they co-exist with insects int he wild. Mantises can get large (for an insect) but they typically don't do very much either. From what I understand they are ambush predators that hang out on branches. My balls are almost always in their hides so I don't expect there would be any interaction between the two. They may not even be aware of each other. Then again, maybe there is something I'm not thinking of.

If I need to invest in a whole new set up for mantises, then I'd just scrap the idea. Snakes are the main thing and they'll be no compromises on that front. but if its simply a matter of buying a mantid and tossing it into an already functioning T8, then I may give it a try.

Thoughts?

Ever seen a Mantis eat a bird, Google, just Google. Not sure it would be wise at all. I know I wouldn’t, and my daughter and I keep Mantis’s every summer. In a separate container. Maybe nothing would happen at all. But then again, is it worth it?

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

Maybe nothing would happen at all. But then again, is it worth it?

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^ this.

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

Maybe nothing would happen at all. But then again, is it worth it?

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Of course not. There's a lot of cross over in the reptile and insect keeping world so I though maybe somebody had tried it. I have no intention of being the first though!

Well if your mantis do not end up crushed they might do like crickets and target your eyes,

Manthis are fragile but also amazing predators with deadly piercing limbs.

Ultimately your choice if you want to take that kind of risk to prove a point or see what happen, it on you.

My advice do not make it about YOU but the animals you are keeping.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Ultimately your choice if you want to take that kind of risk to prove a point or see what happen, it on you.

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Really not interested in either. Like I said snakes are the main thing and my interest in mantises is quite passive. I just wanted to feel out what the community thinks, after all maybe somebody else tried it. Honestly I kind of regret having asked!

It seems the community's opinion is quite clear, so I'll let the matter rest.

You generally don't get "a mantis". You get in egg and hundreds will hatch out of it. Then you need to introduce as BUNCH of feeder insects, and regularly increase their size as the mantis molts. And if everything goes well in about 6 months you'll stay all over again.

So even if your snake doesnt ever interact with the mantis itself, everything b else will be very noticeable.

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Originally Posted by Indy

You generally don't get "a mantis". You get in egg and hundreds will hatch out of it.

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I'm aware of that and would never have placed an egg in a ball python enclosure.

I was speaking of exotic mantises that thrive under the warm and humid conditions we keep Balls, like an orchid mantis. Such are sold individually as mantids and can command fairly high prices for insects (by my lights at least).

Again, this idea has been shelved due to the opposition of the community.

Look at the bright side, the community more then likely saved you a lot of unnecessary grief. :)

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Originally Posted by JRLongton

Really not interested in either. Like I said snakes are the main thing and my interest in mantises is quite passive. I just wanted to feel out what the community thinks, after all maybe somebody else tried it. Honestly I kind of regret having asked!

It seems the community's opinion is quite clear, so I'll let the matter rest.

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Please don't regret asking. It was a very interesting question. I enjoyed reading this topic, and learning from it. Thank you for asking! :gj:

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

Ever seen a Mantis eat a bird, Google, just Google. Not sure it would be wise at all. I know I wouldn’t, and my daughter and I keep Mantis’s every summer. In a separate container. Maybe nothing would happen at all. But then again, is it worth it?

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I thought the were creepy before ... They eat birds!:O that's why I love caterpillars and walking sticks :gj: but not as pets ;)

They're neat bugs, I've hatched more than a couple. They're really expensive considering their months long lifespan. They make most snake morphs look downright cheap in comparison.

A $1k pet snake that lives 20 years only costs 40 cents a month, ignoring feed and care. The bugs can run 10-100 a month :)

I think praying mantises are cool, but I've only admired them in my yard, never tried keeping them. I've never heard of any that could eat birds though...:O

(I'm in the same camp as the others btw, I wouldn't keep them in with my snakes either...)