Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, the mantid case in the "pigdom" opened this morning and I have baby mantids EVERYWHERE. it looks like the screen top on the pygmy cage is fine enough to keep them inside, but those pygmy chams better up their appetites. they are going to have to dosome serious eating to snap up all of these guys. My husband left for Florida to go fishing last night-so, naturally, he missed it. But, if they get out of the pigdom, it also means he missed having them loose in the house-which is VERY good. he tolerates my creatures but HATES IT when "vermin" get loose in the house! Diane
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago
Valentino, Veiled Chameleon
Chyam, Nosy Be Panther Chameleon

I would collect some of them and toss them outside in the bushes if it is warm enough. They are great pest controllers. I'm waiting on a couple of egg cases I have to hatch. There is plenty of hungry mouths around here to take care of them.

Diane,
If they don't find food (fruit flies or aphids) they won't last too long in the house. They will even eat each other to survive!

Good luck with them!

Thanks to both of you. When I got home some of them had "escaped" and were running around on the top screen so I scooped them into a cup and put them in Valentino's cage so he could eat some also. There are plenty of fruit flies for them to eat, but it's too cold to put them outside right now. I have 9 more cases that I bought and they are in the fridge, so when I hatch the next one, I'll put some out doors. I usually have some in my garden anyway, but this year I'm hoping I can harvest a few egg cases myself. Diane
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago
Valentino, Veiled Chameleon
Chyam, Nosy Be Panther Chameleon

I collected a few this winter while out searching for moth cocoons. I brought one inside and stuck it in Darwin's tank to break diapause (hatch before due). I keep telling myself: self, if you don't put them in a closed container you're going to have a mess (Darwin's tank has not top)! I know I'd put it off, but after reading about your adventure I guess I better go put them in a tight screened emerging cage! They'll be for Cyrus and Skippy (frog) and the tarantulas if I can get them to grow on a bit.

I hope your little "pigs" (lol!) aren't overwhelmed by them and make a run for it! :-O
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.1 Mad. Hissers and she's back!
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

That egg case was only in the cage for about a month at daytime temps about 76F. My "pigs" didn't seem to mind the invasion. When I got home from work, most of the mantids were hiding and the pigs were in their usual "stalking" spots. I dumped in a bunch of fruit flies for the mantids and the pigs (if they hadn't been munching on mantids all day and were hungry-LOL)Good luck with yours. I think your "plan" to move them somewhere within screen is a good one. prepare in advance for the "invasion". Diane
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dianedfisher@yahoo.com

My 3 CWD-Avanyu, Tripod and Drago
Valentino, Veiled Chameleon
Chyam, Nosy Be Panther Chameleon