Aug 2, 200602:08 PMThe Life

Desert fauna: prey for our sins

Today's factoid: the female praying mantis often bites the head off her male partner during or just after mating.

A male praying mantis took up residence in our front garden. I had no idea why, but he was very cool. When the local newspaper asked folks to send in photos of their favorite pets, I eMailed a snapshot of the mantis, and wrote:

"Our Sparky is the best darn pet in the world. He is very docile on the leash, and never bothers our neighbors with loud barking or whining. He's completely housetrained (unless you put him under a magnifying glass) and loves to rough and tumble on the floor. He's got a new girlfriend, and seems to be very much in love with her. In fact, they're hugging each other right now... Ohmigod! SPARKY!!"

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