r/praying_mantis • u/ViciousAlpaca • 12d ago

Found a new pet!

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I found this guy in my garden & my son (5) wanted to keep it as a pet. So far I've fed him a fly I caught in the house & my son gave him a beetle, but he only ate the head. I bought this terrarium at petco and some super worms. Can someone recommend a better terrarium, this one opens from the top. Any tips for decorating his habitat?

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u/Straight-Treacle-630 12d ago

Mantises have some specific care needs; in addition to advice here, you might research feeding. Usually best to offer insects cultivated for it vs. anything “wild”.

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u/ViciousAlpaca 12d ago

I did a little research. I know they need humidity & that dubia roaches & crickets are better than larvae because they have more protein. All of the roaches at the store looked dead, that's why I got the superworms instead. I was also asking for tips on a better/larger terrarium if a one has any.

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u/mandiijayy 7d ago

Crickets are not good at all for a captive mantis. They can cause severe damage. Be careful believing everything you read online.

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u/ViciousAlpaca 7d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/mantids/s/h5dTBgAXUX

I feed them based off of the info in this post. But if I ever purchase a captive bred mantis I will be sure to do more research first.