Praying Mantis

Praying mantises are among the most popular types of insects, even taking a titular spot in the 1998 hit A Bug’s Life. Depicted to be a “mysterious showman” in the Disney-Pixar animated feature, praying mantises do actually embody degrees of mystery, though their study by entomologists can be described as extensive.

With the popularity of A Bug’s Life, the animated feature led many parents to exotic pet shops looking for pet praying mantises for their kids when the movie first came out.

Since 2012 is a long time from 1998, plus the fact that isn’t not really a good idea to want a pet just because it was featured in a movie, here are some praying mantis facts for you to peruse, before you take the time to look for a praying mantis to keep as a pet.

The Praying Mantis – A Quick Glance

There are different (over 2000) mantis species out in the world, with the African Praying Mantis being the most popular of praying mantis pet types, given their suitability for praying mantis pet keeper beginners.

Generally, praying mantises can live for as long as up to a year, though the specific life expectancy of a praying mantis is dependent on the type of species. Some praying mantis species only get to live for 6 months as adults, as there are species which live shorter adult life spans.

In terms of size, there are known praying mantis species which could grow as large as six inches, though those kept as pets are typically within two to three inches in size. They come in various colors too, again depending on the species, with some all green as others are typically brown like twigs.

In terms of keeping them, praying mantises should be kept in individual tanks since they are not always agreeable with the presence of another praying mantis in the vicinity. A large enough tank – roughly 12 inches x 12 inches – is good enough for an individual praying mantis. Tank temperatures are typically based on the particulars of a praying mantis specie, along with their dietary preferences, with some mantises particular with live meals (insects, mostly).

Though they don’t live that long, praying mantises are relatively easy to keep as pets, an interesting exotic insect to have in households and homes, if accepted by family members.

White Mice

White mice, in most cases, are the first types of mice which pop up when talking about mice as pets, leaving many to think that they’re the only types of mice worthy of keeping as pets.

The 1999 American animation/live action film Stuart Little, which was loosely based on a book by EB White, reinforced the “white mice pet” concept into the general population’s minds, leaving most thinking that with mice as pets, only white mice can be kept.

As it turns out, there are other mice varieties which can be kept as pets, not just white mice. Here’s a quick take touching up on them.

Pet Mice – More than 40 Varieties

Just as with cat and/or dog circles, there are different breeds of mice, and as pets, there are actually “thorough-breeds” and mixed breed pet mice. As pets, these mice are quite popular, and have different attributes and breeding qualities compared to their “home-rodent” cousins.

Generally, “thorough-breeds” are classified as “exhibition quality mice”, typified by solid hued-coats of either pearl or sable, cinnamon or himalayan, silver or blue. In most pet circles, they are pegged as exotic pets, given that they are not commonly encountered types of mice.

When talking about more commonly encountered pet mice options, brown-coated mice are often described as “fancy mice” by most pet owners and pet stores, taking the name after “hobby”, as in “hobby mice” (hobby mice = fancy mice, get it?).

Field mice are typically associated with these mice, and while there are differences between them and Kangaroo Mice, most “fancy mice” are pegged together as one group defined by their brown hued coats.

In terms of temperament and better pet mice options, female mice – regardless of type – are often ascribed as better to have since female mice urine is not as pungent when compared to male mice urine.

Also, female mice are more toned down and calm, and keeping two together isn’t really all that a headache. Keeping two male mice together requires constant regulation from pet owners since male mice are liable to fight with each other regularly.

Do well in remembering that when it comes to pet mice, there are more varieties other than white mice. Smart and quirky, mice pets are quite fun to have, even if most consider them as vermin.

Do you consider them as vermin yourself? I don’t. Well, at least not the ones that live in hiding around my house at least. :)

 White Mice Pictures

White Mice Wallpapers

White Mice Wallpapers

White Mice Wallpapers

White Mice Wallpapers

White Mice Video

Deer

The 1942 Disney animated Bambi has done well in equating the Bambi namesake with deer, a classic example of how a proper noun, after being used as a household name in different homes based in different parts of the world, transforms into an accepted common noun proxy.

Originally based on a novel written by Felix Salten, the movie has done more than just give deer a new name, but has also spread the importance of environmental awareness, addressing the risks and dangers involved in unsettling Mother Nature’s ecologic balance.

Doe and deer have also earned significant time on the spotlight though the movie, with its popularity leaving many to wonder how feasible having a deer as a pet is.

The answer, of course, is not as clear cut as aspiring pet deer owners would want, considering that if they were all that easy to have as pets, they’d have been quite popular pet options since the Bambi movie’s release.

Deer as Pets – Not Easy, but Possible

Keeping deer as pets is possible, but their care and maintenance won’t be easy for pet deer owners.

For one, space and enclosures with access to greens should be considered in their keeping, given that keeping them inside homes and domiciles aren’t suitable habitats for deer.

They may be quite sweet and “clingy” when raised from doe to adulthood, but they are also prone to bite people, depending on situations and circumstances, usually when their tempers are put to the test.

The thing about deer is that they are naturally inclined to only prowl within a specified radius, with a defined “home spot” in the middle of that said radius. This means that if one keeps deer in a ranch or fenced space, they’re not all that driven to jump out and never come back, but cases of deer-related injuries and accidents are known to exist in cases when deer-pets do escape from enclosures.

They also have the tendency to dig through enclosures/fences, so ensuring solid fence constructions is essential in keeping deer as pets.

All in all, they can be kept as pets, but with regards the cost, maintenance and upkeep involving their pet-status, having them around won’t be easy as having a dog or cat as a pet.

That said, would you still want one running around at home?

Deer  Pictures

Deer images

Deer image

Deer Picture

Deer Wallpapers

Deer Wallpaper

Deer Wallpaper

Deer Wallpaper

Deer Wallpaper

 Deer Video

Too Close for Comfort

We all have that dream, where we get to casually hang out with Tigers, treating them as though they large scale versions of their domestic feline cousins.

But as we dream, we are all quite aware of how different Tigers are from domestic cats in the real world, with one swipe from them resulting to more than just a skin-deep scratch.

An undercover Human Society employee was also quite aware of this fact, upon discovering that workers of an Oklahoma-based wild animal park allowed children to come in close contact with some of its tigers.

Based on reports from USA Today, the said undercover representative of the Human Society saw the unsafe handling of wild animals in the GW Exotic Animal Park, Wynnewood, Oklahoma.

The organization has filed a number of complaints against the wild animal park, citing instances of animal abuse, and the unsafe security/safety practices implemented by the park, defined by how children were allowed to come close to its tiger cubs. The organization has also noted the death of five tiger cubs in the past, which if proven to be true, will leave the park with a lot to answer for.

GW Exotic Animal Park owner Joe Schreibvogel is convinced that the Humane Society is intent in creating noise, in an effort to generate more donations. Given that the park stands to be one of the largest of its kind (exotic-animal parks) in the United States, Schreibvogel claims that the park’s status makes it a target for organizations like the Human Society.

As investigations and inquiries are still ongoing, it is too soon to note if the park or the Humane Society are exactly in the wrong, but we’ll be featuring pertinent updates over here, once they come out.