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Mantis are a hugely entertaining and fascinating group of insects that make easy to keep pets. Here are some interesting and often bizarre facts about them! 1. Their habit of sitting waiting for their prey with arms folded makes them look like they are praying - their name mantis comes from the Greek word 'mantikos' meaning prophet. 2. There are over 2400 known species of Mantis, mainly occurring in tropical and sub-tropical regions - but there are some that live in temperate climate such as the Chinese and European Mantis. 3. Mantis are closely related to cockroaches and are placed in an insect superorder Dictyoptera, that includes the order Blattodea and the order Mantodea. 4. Mantis can turn their heads in 180 degrees to look over their shoulders - a…

Along with plants and the correct soil mixture and forest floor litter, an important and integral part of any successful eco-terrarium are the custodians (sometimes called clean up crew). These are the various critters that forage and eat various moulds, algae, spores, excrement and decaying matter. Not only do they clean up the terrarium they also help with the fertilisation process, which in turn helps the plants flourish. It really is the perfect balance. The three commonly used clean up crew are springtails, isopods (woodlice) and earthworms.   Springtails are tiny white arthropods that live up to their name – they can jump! They are a harmless critter that will only thrive in damp conditions with the correct food – they will quickly die should they find themselves out of…

Yes, it’s that time of the year again when tortoise owners start to get excited at the prospect of spending time with their shelled pal again. Hibernation (many people prefer the word brumation for reptiles) is an important part of many species of tortoises life. For those species that naturally hibernate it is best to obey mother nature and allow them to hibernate – these species include Horsfields, Spur-thighed (not to be confused with the much larger African Spurred) and Hermanns tortoises. Commonly kept species that must not hibernate include Red Foot and African Spurred (commonly called Sulcata) tortoises. To not hibernate the likes of Horsefields and Hermanns tortoises will likely create health complications throughout their lives. However, hibernating a tortoise is a complex issue, and even waking them up…