They don't look real. I've always been terrified of them, and to a lesser extent, grasshoppers. They look like Aliens from a different Planet or Universe, and it's easy for me to picture them 7-8 feet tall.
MAAAAAAAAAAA!
They can bite you but it's not likely. They have ways of identifying their prey. They suggest gloves if you're concerned. If accidentally bitten it may bleed or hurt but nothing poisonous. It says wash your hands & apply pain medicine. I would like to glove up and hold one sometime.
They don't move very fast. I had one get in & he somehow got on the air exchange vent. I had to go get ahold of him & place him back outside & I only used a vinyl glove. I screamed a little. I don't do well with bugs. LOL
Fascinating creatures. Many, many years ago, acquaintances in North Carolina kept a pair of mantises on a large jade plant in a big bay window. The bugs never left the plant, kept the house virtually insect free, and were a great conversation piece.
This is definitely *not* a professional photo but this little guy was hitching a ride on my trunk last week. In fact, he managed to hang on with me driving 55 mph from one house to the next