If you’ve been playing Grow A Garden for a while, you may have noticed the Praying Mantis pet added in the Animal Update. It’s a mythical pet that many players are curious about, especially because of its special trait that affects crop variants. In this guide, I’ll break down what you need to know about the Praying Mantis, how it works in practice, and tips for using it effectively.

What is the Praying Mantis in Grow A Garden?

The Praying Mantis is classified as a mythical pet, meaning it’s rarer than most common or even exotic pets in the game. It was introduced on May 3, 2025, as part of the Animal Update. Unlike standard pets, it has a unique passive ability that affects the growth of crops in your garden.

In general, most players obtain the Praying Mantis by hatching Bug Eggs or Exotic Bug Eggs, each giving a 4% chance of getting this pet. That low probability makes it one of the harder pets to acquire, so it usually requires some persistence or multiple egg hatches to finally get one.

The pet has a hunger bar of 55,000, which is similar to other mythical pets. Maintaining its hunger is important, though it’s not as time-sensitive as lower-tier pets.

What Does the Praying Mantis Look Like?

Appearance is important for some players, especially those who enjoy customizing their garden. The Praying Mantis is fairly small compared to pets like dragons or larger insects:

It has four small green legs and two large green claws.

Its head features two black square eyes, a big dark green mouth, and two antennas that have neon-colored dots.

Overall, it has a green, slightly neon appearance that stands out but is not overly flashy.

Most players agree that its size and color make it easy to place near crops without blocking movement or other pets.

How Does the Praying Mantis Trait Work?

The Praying Mantis has a passive ability that activates approximately every 80 seconds. Here’s how it functions in practice:

The pet prays for about 10 seconds during its active cycle.

While praying, it grants a 1.51x variant chance to crops within roughly 10.3 studs of it. This affects Rainbow, Gold, and Silver variants.

The effect only applies to crops that are already growing, not fully grown ones. Unlike pets such as the Butterfly or Dragonfly, the Praying Mantis does not give growth mutations to fully matured fruits or crops.

Moving plants with a Trowel will not transfer the effect. You need to keep the pet near the crops you want to benefit.

In general, most players place the Praying Mantis close to high-value crops where variant chances matter. Because of its relatively small range (about 10 studs), positioning is key. Some players pair it with other variant-boosting pets to stack effects, though the benefits diminish with multiple pets nearby due to overlap mechanics.

How Does it Compare to Other Pets?

A common question among players is whether the Praying Mantis is “better” than other pets. In practice:

The Pig has a similar ability and is easier to obtain, and surprisingly, its stats are often slightly better than the Praying Mantis.

Despite the Praying Mantis being rarer, it doesn’t automatically guarantee stronger boosts. Most players consider it situational, depending on whether they want a mythical pet for aesthetic reasons or strategic gameplay.

Its strength lies in variant chance boosting rather than direct growth speed or crop mutation.

In short, the Praying Mantis is not automatically a replacement for pets like Butterfly or Dragonfly, but it can complement a setup focused on variant crops.

Practical Tips for Using the Praying Mantis

Here are some insights based on how experienced players use the Praying Mantis:

Placement matters: Keep it near your most valuable crops. A radius of about 10 studs means that if your plants are spread too far apart, some won’t get the boost.

Combine with growth-focused pets: Since the Praying Mantis only affects growing crops, pairing it with pets that speed up growth or boost harvests can improve efficiency.

Don’t rely on it for mutations alone: Because it doesn’t affect fully grown crops, you’ll need other pets if your goal is to get Gold or Rainbow variants at harvest time.

Hunger management: Its hunger bar is high, so it doesn’t require constant feeding. Most players find it manageable to keep it active without frequent attention.

Use in zen zones: The pet works best in areas where crops are actively growing, such as Zen zones. In these zones, the passive prayer effect is more predictable and consistent.

For players who are focused on the in-game economy, there is also the option to sell grow a garden pets for cash, including the Praying Mantis. This can help fund egg hatches or other pet acquisitions, though it’s worth noting that most players do this cautiously due to its rarity.

Common Misconceptions

There are a few things players often misunderstand about the Praying Mantis:

It doesn’t make crops grow faster: The pet only increases the chance of variant outcomes, not the actual growth time.

It won’t affect moved plants: If you relocate a crop with a Trowel, the effect stops until the pet is back in range.

Higher rarity doesn’t mean stronger effects: Mythical pets like the Praying Mantis can be more for aesthetic or collection purposes rather than being the top-performing in terms of stats.

Understanding these points helps prevent wasted effort and sets realistic expectations for the pet.

The Praying Mantis is a mythical pet in Grow A Garden with a unique trait that boosts variant chances for crops in its range. Most players get it from Bug Eggs or Exotic Bug Eggs at a 4% chance. Its small size and passive praying ability make it easy to integrate into a crop-focused setup, but it’s not a direct replacement for faster growth or mutation-giving pets.

Practical use revolves around positioning, pairing with other pets, and focusing on growing crops rather than fully matured ones. Experienced players often keep it near high-value crops, especially in Zen zones, and some even sell grow a garden pets for cash to optimize their overall resources.

In general, the Praying Mantis is a solid addition for players who want to improve variant chances and add a mythical pet to their collection, but it’s most effective when combined thoughtfully with other pets and strategic placement.