| The praying mantis is a very interesting | | | | Also make sure the humidity doesn't get too |
| looking creature. Usually, you can't even | | | | low.In the wild, the praying mantis eats |
| see them in the wild because they blend in so | | | | mainly insects. When you keep these animals |
| much with plants. The African Mantis is | | | | in your home, you need to feed them every two |
| becoming very popular as a pet and is | | | | to three days. You should feed an adult |
| relatively easy to keep.A praying mantis can | | | | mantis crickets and grasshoppers. A younger |
| grow to be up to ten centimeters long. They | | | | mantis can be fed smaller insects like |
| come in many different color variations that | | | | pinhead crickets or drosophilae. If you have |
| range from bright green to dark brown. | | | | more than one mantis housed together, be sure |
| Occasionally, they also are a cream color. | | | | to keep them well fed or they will eat each |
| The adults have full wings and can see | | | | other.If you plan on breeding the praying |
| extraordinarily well.If you are going to keep | | | | mantis, the first thing you need to know is |
| these creatures, you must be very careful to | | | | how to tell males and females apart. The |
| keep them in the correct temperature and | | | | easiest way to tell is to count the abdominal |
| humidity. They need to be kept in an | | | | segments. Males have eight and females have |
| aquarium that is pretty tall because they | | | | six. Once you get a pair, feed them very |
| need height for molting. Make sure the tank | | | | well for two weeks before breeding them. If |
| is sealed so that they cannot get out, but | | | | you don't feed them enough, one will probably |
| use a well-ventilated lid so oxygen can get | | | | eat the other instead of mating. The only |
| in. Many people end up sealing the tank so | | | | thing recommended for a breeding tank is a |
| well than oxygen cannot get in and the | | | | piece of diagonal corkboard. Put the |
| creatures die.At the bottom of the tank you | | | | breeding pair together once they have been |
| will need to have some kind of substrate as | | | | fed for the two weeks. Watch them very |
| well as twigs and branches. Make the | | | | closely and make sure the female is not |
| substrate ten millimeters thick. You don't | | | | aggressive towards the male. If she is, take |
| need to make the aquarium that humid because | | | | out the male immediately. If they mate, the |
| the praying mantis gets the moisture it needs | | | | female will lay several hundred eggs. Be |
| from what it eats. It is recommended that | | | | careful, because right after they mate the |
| you lightly mist them though. A younger | | | | female will try to eat the male.It doesn't |
| mantis needs more humidity than an adult. If | | | | take that much work to keep your praying |
| you see dew on the side of the tank, then | | | | mantis healthy. Getting their environment |
| that means that the there is too much | | | | right is the hardest thing to do. Once you |
| humidity in there. Don't let the humidity | | | | do that, you can just enjoy watching these |
| get too high or your praying mantis can die. | | | | fascinating creatures. |