My 2 Mantis kids

[Sssnakemom31]

Well, after reading, lurking, reading some more ... I decided to get a little mantis. Matrix is an O. havanensis, and he has a ton of personality in this small body!! I love watching him, and he makes me just grin!

And after getting to know the joys of having a Mantis, I felt like I was ready for a "larger caliber" ... enter, Tango!

These pics were taken as I was moving Matrix into his new tank on my desk, and after I got Tango out of his purchase bag, ready to begin acclimating. Both are settled in, and doing great! Tango took a shrimp carefully from me this morning, so I think he likes his new home!!

Thanks for looking!

 

[gholland]

Congrats on the new arrivals! Beatiful little guys. If your O. lat is even half as funny and entertaining as mine, you're in for a ton-o-fun. How large is each one? Keep us updated as the antics begin!
Greg

 

[Feclar]

Those guys look great, hope they settle in to their new abodes

 

[Sssnakemom31]

These guys rock!!

These guys rock!!

Today, I watched Matrix dig yet another entrance to his digs, and right now, just after "lights out", I am watching him battan his hatches for the night. He is better than Animal Planet!! He is far more industrious than Tango is ... Tango has loosly piled some rubble and a few shells in a heap just inside a burrow entrance, and has done little digging - the cave system I designed for him does not, apparently, need much renovating at present! He did take a shrimp from tongs this morning, and I think he ate it - it's gone, at least from my view! Matrix got a stomatella for a treat this evening - not real fond of frozen krill, so I will have to find other non-live things he likes.

Greg, I was so imspired by all your tales of Elvira ... she is indeed lovely!!! My partner says "O.K., 2 mantis are enough - don't make this like the green tree pythons (26),the tarantulas (at one time, I had over 40) or the dogs (6), or the saltwater reef tanks (5) ..." well, you get the drift!!! I tend to go a bit ... overboard?!

I have been snapping pics, too ...

They are just so photogenic!!!

 

[gholland]

Nice pics! Where'd you manage to find the O. lat? And is it really male? The antennal scales on males are supposed to be red whereas the females are pinkish-purple. It looks like Matrix has red borders (setae?) on the antennal scales... but the scales themselves look like the pinkish-purple color that Elvira has. Just curious. Elvira doesn't seem to have the red border but I already peeked under her skirt to confirm her sex.

don't make this like the green tree pythons (26),the tarantulas (at one time, I had over 40) or the dogs (6), or the saltwater reef tanks (5) ..." well, you get the drift!!! I tend to go a bit ... overboard?!

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean... 7 saltwater tanks, 8 cats, 4 dogs, 3 horses, 5 chickens, 10 pigeons, and 3 pea-fowl here... my wife is a vet... she likes to bring her work home! :lol:

Keep us updated! I'm going to try and get videos of Elvira hunting ghost shrimp this weekend!

 

[HookedOnReefing]

Congrats.

Don't feel bad about going overboard.... 1 pot-belly-pig, 3 English Springer Spaniels, 2 cats, 2 reefs, 4 Alpaca's, 3 horses, 15 chickens, 1 parot. More on the way

 

[Sssnakemom31]

Woopsie!!

Woopsie!!

I did forget to add the parrots ... 11 of them, from Bourke's keets to cockatoos ....

Greg, Matrix is an O. havanensis, NOT like Elvira, and I have NO idea as to sex on either one of the kids .... I just call them "he" cause they seem to radiate macho - LOLOL!!

Turns out, the stomatella is now Matrix's pet ... after carrying it into his burrow, he released it, and it was cruising the hairy mushrooms last evening after lights out. Silly kid!!

I want to do more decorating for both the tanks - need to find some macro for Tango's tank, and some shrooms as well. Matrix needs little more, he has his shrooms and macro, but I'd like something a bit more colorful in there too ... Tango needs a LOT of decor, he has plenty of stuff for him, but nothing for ME - LOL!!!

 

[gholland]

DOH! You did say that in your first post. My bad. I just had the photo in my mind and kept thinking it looked so similar to Elvira.

 

[Feclar]

Sounds like some cool setups
Any full tank shots?

 

[Sssnakemom31]

Total tank pics!

Total tank pics!

Here you go - it can be difficult to see the kids in the photos - they are in their burrow entrances in both photos. I have only just begun to add artistic live things, so it still looks pretty bare, but it is a work in progress - or 2 works in progress!!

Matrix's home ...

Tango's home ...

We are having fun!!!

 

[quiksilver]

Man! I'm moving in with you guys. Your houses rival petting zoos at the fair!

 

[gharner]

wow....i saw this post when it was first started, and i really didnt pay a whole lot of attention to the first two pics of your mantises. they are both extremely nice looking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what size tanks are they in?
where did you get them?

 

[Gangsta Nemo]

Great looking mantids and setups. I'm sure their very happy. I like the shaving brush in matrix tank. Enjoy the time they grow up so fast.