New Venture For Me

[Ratzy]

Today I had my second day at secondry school ( I haven't started yet, it is just like a tour, except you have lessons ). After that, I went back to primary with my dad ( he's a teacher and needed to collect his work ). He told me a teacher ( I train her 'tiel ) had something to show me. So off I went! It turned out to be a girl with stick insects ( she keeps and breeds them ). We chatted and I held them. I asked questions about keeping them and such. Then she offered to give me some!! She gave me 4, three crowned stic insects and one spiny leaf insect. She is going to send me a care sheet via email. At the moment I have them in containers and I'm getting a tank tomorrow. I've been researching as much as I can, but most of the stuff contradicts other sites and so on. I'm about to get some pics and I need some names! Can you post some suggestions for names? Thanks in advance.

 

[wildheart]

I love those insects, they are really cool! Cant wait for the photos.

 

[Bobby34231]

Twiggy, Leif (Leaf), Thorny, Bark-er (Barker), Root-h (Ruth), just a few silly suggestions :09:

 

[Ratzy]

Here is my female crowned stick insect.

One of my male crowneds. They look exactly the same, except one is slightly bigger.

And my baby spiny leaf insect. This guy is soo hard to photograph, as he is about the size of a short nail.

I'm getting a tank today! Apparently they lay 300-1000 eggs in their lifetime!

 

[JawzX]

stick insects are so cool! You hardly ever see them in the wild (well, they aren't very common in the North Eastern US anyway) due to the great camoflage... I was unaware that they would breed in captivity! Good luck with them, and I love the suggestions of Leif and Twiggy for names, good job Bob

 

[Ratzy]

Apparently they are very easy to breed, as most species don't need a mate to reproduce. They are all set up in their tank now and I've just sprayed them. They eat at night on gum leaves.

 

[wildheart]

Oh I am glad they are all settled in! What on earth are you going to do with all the babies?

 

[Ratzy]

A week later and they are going well!! The baby spiny leaf is developing ridges along it's tail, making me think it is female. I still haven't named them yet. As only about one quarter of eggs hatch in good conditions I'm not worried about having too many insects. Plus, the eggs take 3 months-3 years to hatch. They are very active at night now and I'm guessing ( if they are fully grown ) that eggs might be coming soon. I'm not sure that they are full grown though.

 

[parrotqueen]

Wow, what a neat experience! I used to be quite the insect enthusiast a long time ago, and had the pleasure to raise some Painted Lady butterflies as well as a Tiger Swallowtail. It was fun watching them grow up from small caterpillars to beautiful butterlies.

I would love to see pictures of the Spiny leaf insect all grown up; they look really interesting as adults.

 

[Ratzy]

Thank you!! I was at the Melbourne Zoo yesterday and got to see some MASSIVE Spiny Leaf's up close ( and their eggs, which the zoo didn't realise were there ) and the butterfly house ( massive walk through green house, amazing ). I am about to go skiing up Mt Hotham tomorrow and I have to take the stick insects with me if I can get them past the check-in desk, lol. I THINK they have a no-pets regulation. There I go again, I don't sound like a twelve year old, do I?

 

[Vivica]

Haha they're gorgeous. You don't sound like a 12 year old, LOL.
You know I was thinking they'd look ugly, but they are really beautiful. I like how the baby one curls up its tail like a scorpion. That would freak me out. This reminds me of the praying mantises that live outside. I love those little guys, and would love to keep one. But they need bugs to survive, so that would be kinda hard to find. Plus, wrnts would probably eat the praying mantis too. LOL --my bird is too territorial. Hehe

 

[SharonC]

I understand your interest in these guys! I really do...but bugs with long legs freak me out!!! Why are you taking them skiing?

 

[Ratzy]

Haha they're gorgeous. You don't sound like a 12 year old, LOL.
You know I was thinking they'd look ugly, but they are really beautiful. I like how the baby one curls up its tail like a scorpion. That would freak me out. This reminds me of the praying mantises that live outside. I love those little guys, and would love to keep one. But they need bugs to survive, so that would be kinda hard to find. Plus, wrnts would probably eat the praying mantis too. LOL --my bird is too territorial. Hehe

I'm back from the skiing trip. The adult female crowned stick insect died due to old age I believe ( she was adult when I got her ) and the baby spiny leaf insect shed it's skin for the first time-it is definately female. They are different to praying mantis as they are not insect eaters at all, while praying mantis pray on other insects. Mine eat gum leaves. I had to take them skiing, they have to be sprayed everyday and I was on short notice. The baby spiny leaf has cute little spines that look like little leaves on it's legs and tail. They are very low-maintence pets. I'm going to need another tank soon- adult spiny leafs are about half the length of my current one! Feels good to be back and my favourite cockatiel is being dropped off tomorrow ( for me to look after).

 

[Beilana]

Wow Ratzy you are really brave! I don't think I would even be able to hold one of these things! I am deathly arachnophobic and bugs creep me out! lol. BUT They are still living creatures and I am sure you are giving them a good life Congrats!!!

 

[Ratzy]

Wow Ratzy you are really brave! I don't think I would even be able to hold one of these things! I am deathly arachnophobic and bugs creep me out! lol. BUT They are still living creatures and I am sure you are giving them a good life Congrats!!!

Not brave, stupid. Or so my brother says. Bugs, spiders and I go way back.... started when I brought a huntsman in to school. I was told to release it, so I let it go in the classroom:54:. Needless to say, my teacher wasn't exactly ecstatic, as it hung above his desk all day. When it finally died of old age, it happened to drop on somebody's desk who happened to not LIKE spiders............:21:

 

[Dj tweet]

Feed the babies to your fids lol
they will have a blast catching them and what a great source of protein

 

[Vivica]

you're very educated on these guys. Kudos to you. I don't know the first thing about them. LOL

 

[Ecclipse]

Hey Ratzy, you go girl!!!! Wow - Im not scared of crawlies and love insects. That is so cool!!!! You have such a great animal family going there Just please be careful that they dont get near your budgies - would hate for the budgies to think they were a toy or something - that wouldnt end well for your insect.

We have a bug farm near us and there were sme just like that - they were quite large. Do those insects get big? These were double my hand in length??? The kids that I went with thought they were the best thing ever....what do they eat? Would be great to see what their home looks like - hint, hint photies please!

 

[Ratzy]

Thanks! They now have names. The small male is called...... Mr Twig. The big male is called....... Mr Stick. The smallest female spiny leaf is called......... Titch ( she will grow to 30cm I think).

 

[Ratzy]

Just thought you might like to see this one, what it looks like now