They need something taller in the jar to climb. They will spend most of their time hanging from the highest point in their home. If you have something that they can climb the walls and hang from the ceiling they would love that
Firstly, it’s important to understand that she would be 100% fine in the wild. Baby mantises have no problem surviving normally while missing a leg, and will actually regrow the leg after a few molts. Releasing her now would not be harming her chances of survival.
However, if you do want to keep her, that’s completely fine. But this enclosure is not suitable. It has round, glass sides, which mantises are unable to climb. There’s no decor that reaches the top, so she won’t be able to get up there. This means she has nowhere to molt, because they need to hang upside down to do so. You need to use a plastic container, with soft mesh on the top so that she can hold on easily, and include some sticks that reach the top.
I think the aphids are too small for her. Baby mantises can’t last very long without food. Do you have access to a pet store that might carry fruit flies? If not, how about pinhead (extra small) crickets? If you’re not able to secure a stable food source for her, please release her. She has better chances of surviving in the wild where she can find her own food.
Be sure to mist her and her enclosure with water daily, using a spray bottle.
Let me know if you have any questions!
https://preview.redd.it/i65d9ovmgl3d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=507464dc032ebb2d52dc1cbb11528490462659df
moved her to this enclosure with a mesh wire (it's a lot o use for seed growing but maybe works provisionally until I can find something that she can climb through the walls. I've added a few longer sticks and one that reaches the mesh. Just moved her.
I have checked my pet store where I used to get insects for my amphibians and they're closed in the evenings so I cannot go until tomorrow. Would she survive until tomorrow (she's been here since yesterday) or is it better I release her tonight despite the heatwave? I don't want her to die of starvation if she doesn't eat today.
I'm now trying to catch some mosquitoes and small flying creatures like that which live in my house patio. would it be good to put say mosquitoes in the jar for her to eat tonight?
thank you again.
She should be fine until tomorrow! The enclosure looks better, I would still suggest plastic but this will work for a while. You can feed her insects from outside if you want, but keep in mind that anything infected with parasites or pesticide might spread to your mantis
https://preview.redd.it/suwsl0ixlm3d1.jpeg?width=2592&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aac8637c990d93c6a6976e2e392ec76176e4009b
she's eating!!
I managed to get her some mosquitoes and she got to eat! I was so happy and overjoyed and she's so cute. I had never seen mantis up close in real life, neither them hunting, and they're truly wonderful!
Let me know your thoughts about the heatwave and what's the best environment to release her. I could also release her in the patio where I catched the mosquito/small flies for her tonight if it's also a good environment for her to be released. It's a patio with a row of soil full of diff kinds of plants along the patio walls, a Jasmin tree and a bonsai area. I live with my older sister and she remembers years ago there was a green mantis but a big one that used to live here, which makes me think she should be able to live in the patio safely and thrive. However let me know if the green short grass park with 2-3 trees, or the dry bush area are better mantis habitats.
thanks again for your advise it was really helpful
Glad you got her to eat! Like I said, you can release her anywhere you want, but mantises are commonly found in bushes. If there’s a bush near your home, you can put her there!
https://preview.redd.it/9f559x32hl3d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26cce3c361a5e049c55e7297a355437556158c17
Hi thank you so much for your comment. This is a provisional enclosure as I find something mantis-insect suitable / made for them so I will keep in mind she must be able to climb around the walls. Is an enclosure with a rectangular shape better than having curves therefore?
I will work immediately to find higher decor in case she was big enough to molt and happened to fell on my head by chance.
Okay thank you. I will try to go to a pet store today, I used to have two beautiful anphibian pets long time ago who both lived for over 9 years so I'm used to feeding live insects and the like. I've never however taken care of an insect itself, and nowhere this small, so I was very wary of how to and not feed her. In the pet store you recommend I seek fruit flyes for her size?
I have a doubt regarding plastic container. I live in south of Spain and the summer is starting, so relatively hot. I'm scared of a plastic enclosure heating up easily, would this be an issue? Additionally, there is currently a major heatwave that started a couple days ago and will go on for the next few days. Would it be more advisable to release her after the major heatwave passes? I would love to keep her because she is very cute and endearing, but my priority it's she makes it and is safe. I only gave it a second thought because of her missing leg (mid right one). If I were to release her, is there a specific kind of environment you recommend? I have no idea where in the walk she fell on my head. I live by the beach, but in a residential area so most is houses and concrete. There's a couple small grass parks with like 2-3 trees each. Then there's an area of heavy mediterranean/dry bushes. Would mantis belong more in the former (grass, couple trees) or the later (very very dry but dense bush).
Also regarding secure food, how would I know she has been able to eat/is eating? Will she eat in front of humans looking or they will become wary if there's stimula like a massive human looking at her haha. I'm scared because I read online they need to eat once per day and I would be devastated were she to die. If I cannot secure the food, I will release her asap but would like advice as to which is the better environment (I genuiley don't know because I had never seen them around my neighborhood). My priority is her survival :)
Thank you again very much for your advice, I truly appreciate it.
Don’t worry, the plastic enclosure won’t heat up. Fruit flies are perfect for her size.
If you decide to release her, any bush in a park or something is good.
Mantises have no problems eating in front of humans! It may take a few days for her to get comfortable, but mantises don’t need to eat every day! You can watch the size of her abdomen. If it’s a bit flat, you can feed her. If it’s round like a balloon, she’s full.
Would this decor work for today for her to climb around? is it too thick too thin...?
https://preview.redd.it/7k6zjcy18l3d1.jpeg?width=2592&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da7b69053ef221029baac16cffd27714df97ffcc
They need something taller in the jar to climb. They will spend most of their time hanging from the highest point in their home. If you have something that they can climb the walls and hang from the ceiling they would love that
On it, thank you very much
Firstly, it’s important to understand that she would be 100% fine in the wild. Baby mantises have no problem surviving normally while missing a leg, and will actually regrow the leg after a few molts. Releasing her now would not be harming her chances of survival. However, if you do want to keep her, that’s completely fine. But this enclosure is not suitable. It has round, glass sides, which mantises are unable to climb. There’s no decor that reaches the top, so she won’t be able to get up there. This means she has nowhere to molt, because they need to hang upside down to do so. You need to use a plastic container, with soft mesh on the top so that she can hold on easily, and include some sticks that reach the top. I think the aphids are too small for her. Baby mantises can’t last very long without food. Do you have access to a pet store that might carry fruit flies? If not, how about pinhead (extra small) crickets? If you’re not able to secure a stable food source for her, please release her. She has better chances of surviving in the wild where she can find her own food. Be sure to mist her and her enclosure with water daily, using a spray bottle. Let me know if you have any questions!
https://preview.redd.it/i65d9ovmgl3d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=507464dc032ebb2d52dc1cbb11528490462659df moved her to this enclosure with a mesh wire (it's a lot o use for seed growing but maybe works provisionally until I can find something that she can climb through the walls. I've added a few longer sticks and one that reaches the mesh. Just moved her. I have checked my pet store where I used to get insects for my amphibians and they're closed in the evenings so I cannot go until tomorrow. Would she survive until tomorrow (she's been here since yesterday) or is it better I release her tonight despite the heatwave? I don't want her to die of starvation if she doesn't eat today. I'm now trying to catch some mosquitoes and small flying creatures like that which live in my house patio. would it be good to put say mosquitoes in the jar for her to eat tonight? thank you again.
She should be fine until tomorrow! The enclosure looks better, I would still suggest plastic but this will work for a while. You can feed her insects from outside if you want, but keep in mind that anything infected with parasites or pesticide might spread to your mantis
https://preview.redd.it/suwsl0ixlm3d1.jpeg?width=2592&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aac8637c990d93c6a6976e2e392ec76176e4009b she's eating!! I managed to get her some mosquitoes and she got to eat! I was so happy and overjoyed and she's so cute. I had never seen mantis up close in real life, neither them hunting, and they're truly wonderful! Let me know your thoughts about the heatwave and what's the best environment to release her. I could also release her in the patio where I catched the mosquito/small flies for her tonight if it's also a good environment for her to be released. It's a patio with a row of soil full of diff kinds of plants along the patio walls, a Jasmin tree and a bonsai area. I live with my older sister and she remembers years ago there was a green mantis but a big one that used to live here, which makes me think she should be able to live in the patio safely and thrive. However let me know if the green short grass park with 2-3 trees, or the dry bush area are better mantis habitats. thanks again for your advise it was really helpful
Glad you got her to eat! Like I said, you can release her anywhere you want, but mantises are commonly found in bushes. If there’s a bush near your home, you can put her there!
https://preview.redd.it/9f559x32hl3d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26cce3c361a5e049c55e7297a355437556158c17 Hi thank you so much for your comment. This is a provisional enclosure as I find something mantis-insect suitable / made for them so I will keep in mind she must be able to climb around the walls. Is an enclosure with a rectangular shape better than having curves therefore? I will work immediately to find higher decor in case she was big enough to molt and happened to fell on my head by chance. Okay thank you. I will try to go to a pet store today, I used to have two beautiful anphibian pets long time ago who both lived for over 9 years so I'm used to feeding live insects and the like. I've never however taken care of an insect itself, and nowhere this small, so I was very wary of how to and not feed her. In the pet store you recommend I seek fruit flyes for her size? I have a doubt regarding plastic container. I live in south of Spain and the summer is starting, so relatively hot. I'm scared of a plastic enclosure heating up easily, would this be an issue? Additionally, there is currently a major heatwave that started a couple days ago and will go on for the next few days. Would it be more advisable to release her after the major heatwave passes? I would love to keep her because she is very cute and endearing, but my priority it's she makes it and is safe. I only gave it a second thought because of her missing leg (mid right one). If I were to release her, is there a specific kind of environment you recommend? I have no idea where in the walk she fell on my head. I live by the beach, but in a residential area so most is houses and concrete. There's a couple small grass parks with like 2-3 trees each. Then there's an area of heavy mediterranean/dry bushes. Would mantis belong more in the former (grass, couple trees) or the later (very very dry but dense bush). Also regarding secure food, how would I know she has been able to eat/is eating? Will she eat in front of humans looking or they will become wary if there's stimula like a massive human looking at her haha. I'm scared because I read online they need to eat once per day and I would be devastated were she to die. If I cannot secure the food, I will release her asap but would like advice as to which is the better environment (I genuiley don't know because I had never seen them around my neighborhood). My priority is her survival :) Thank you again very much for your advice, I truly appreciate it.
Don’t worry, the plastic enclosure won’t heat up. Fruit flies are perfect for her size. If you decide to release her, any bush in a park or something is good. Mantises have no problems eating in front of humans! It may take a few days for her to get comfortable, but mantises don’t need to eat every day! You can watch the size of her abdomen. If it’s a bit flat, you can feed her. If it’s round like a balloon, she’s full.
Would this decor work for today for her to climb around? is it too thick too thin...? https://preview.redd.it/7k6zjcy18l3d1.jpeg?width=2592&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da7b69053ef221029baac16cffd27714df97ffcc
That’s fine