Hooded Mantis
The first time you see a hooded mantis, also called a leaf or shield mantis, you may have trouble believing your eyes, as it looks like a walking leaf, complete with the sort of damage and discolorations you’d see on an actual leaf. In fact, you may not realize that leaf you are looking at is an insect until it rears up and stares at you (they really do that!).
The hooded mantis is related to the praying mantis, and its camouflage hides it until prey approaches close enough for it to snap out both front legs and snatch it to its mouth for lunch. There’s a really cool video about this species here.
A hooded mantis is big, 3″ inches long with a 1″ shield, and when it rises up to examine you it will look quite forbidding. Don’t worry, though, it’s really pretty harmless, and you can pick it up safely if you move slowly and don’t alarm it. It MIGHT grab you, but it will turn loose if you wait a moment.
Hooded mantises have large eyes with stereo vision, which serve them well when seeking prey — insects, baby lizards, little frogs, bird nestlings, and smaller mantises. In turn, they are eaten by the same prey species which mature to be bigger than them — a great example of karma. Check out the one I sketched here.