Praying Mantis

[SashasMom]

How many people own or have owned praying mantids? My Shenanigans is such a wonderful old lady. My dad hatched her out and I got her after second molt. She has been amazing... Taking food gently from my hand almost daily. Now as an old lady I have to give her water by hand and after she feeds she comes and hangs out with me (begs to be picked up) then snuggles up on my hand to watch TV and the dogs while preening like a bird. I know my time with her is short so I cherish every day!

[JimMills]

Awesome mantis. My friend/roommate has four females that he has
been keeping for almost two months now. They are awesome to feed and watch. A few of them laid egg sacks. Might have some nymphs around the house next year.

[BWyant]

Not that it wouldn't be easier and quicker to just check Google, but...

Since we're dealing with statements like "I know my time is short with her," and "for almost two months now," how long does a Mantis live anyway?

[CptJack]

Not that it wouldn't be easier and quicker to just check Google, but...

Since we're dealing with statements like "I know my time is short with her," and "for almost two months now," how long does a Mantis live anyway?

10-12 months, but in some colder areas all the adults die off over winter.

[JimMills]

Those kept in captivity can live for around 1.5 years depending on the care

[GoingPostal]

So you don't have to worry about them biting you or anything? My stepdad picked one up on the road for my nephew a couple years ago and I set it up in a nice tank for him but no one was brave enough to touch her. There are a lot of really neat looking mantids out there, very fascinating.

[auhsojnacnud]

Mantis don't bite! They are quite common in colorado during the summer. I once found a baby one about half the size of a penny. Didn't keep it though. We always catch them and place them in our garden because they will eat the bugs. Mantis are very amazing creatures. I never knew people kept them as pets until I saw this thread.

[Tarzan152]

NICE!! I've had a few Praying Mantis myself. They are the coolest pets and yes, unfortunately, they don't last long. The last one I had lived for 8 months. She was a "teenager" when I found her in my back yard (New York). You can see in the picture below, she would eat on my hand and I would feed her because, during her last month, she wasn't fast enough to catch the cricket. She was lightning quick when she was at her peak..

[Smarion0006]

This is a really cool thread. I didn't realize they could be kept as pets. I really enjoyed looking at the pics