Madagascar hissing cockroaches come from the island Madagascar. They are one of the most popular pet roaches around. Some common names they go by are hissers, hissing roach, hisser or the scientific name of Gromphadorhina portentosa.
They are one of the few wingless roaches. They are great climbers and can easily climb plastic or glass.
The hissing cockroach usually matures in about 3 to 6 months worth of time and can live in captivity for up to about 5 years. The hissing roach has been made popular by its size and hissing sounds that it makes. They extrude air out valves abdomen. They use this hissing noise to scare of predators. Should see the cat jump when it hisses ;) They are very fun pet roaches and enjoyable to watch.
Sexing
Mature male and female madagascar hissing cockroaches are easy to sex. The male usually has horns on its head (pronotum) and heavier antennae. They will produce the horns as they get older so younger nymphs are harder to tell apart.
Breeding
Breeding hissing roaches is really easy. The main key to getting young is plenty of food, warmth, dark and moist environment. Many people wonder why their hissers will not breed and I have found most of the time it is due to lack of warmth. About 85 to 89 degrees is where I have found to produce the most offspring.
Care
Hissing cockroaches are easy to care for. This pet roach is one of the most interesting of them also. First you want to get something that is large enough for them and have a little bit of bark, egg crates or something else for them to hide in. They are climbers so it is a good idea to spread about 2 inches of vaseline around the edges of your cage as they can not climb past this.
Some kind of substrate like eco earth or other dirt like substance you can buy at a pet shop. Make sure there are no additives to the mixture like fertilizers as that can be harmful to your roaches. Food can either be fruits and vegetable scraps or you can use different cricket feeds.
I have found that they like yellow squash, carrots, oranges and apples a lot. Citrus is really one of their favorites and good for them. Cricket feeds will sometimes attract grain mites, which are harmless but annoying. Ground up egg shells can also make a good source of protein for your roaches. For water you can mist your substrate a couple of times a week and keep orange slices in there as they will pull water out of those. Another source is cricket water crystals.
Ailments or sick
If you notice your roaches are nibbling on each other there might be a lack of protein. Egg shells, dog food, cat food or cricket feed are excellent sources of protein.
The madagascar hissing roach actually has a its on type of mite. These mites will feed on the food and saliva of the roach. They are harmless for the most part in small numbers but if you have too many you will need to clean your roaches. The best way I found to do this is put them in a zip lock back with flour. Shake a little and it knocks off all the mites into the flour. Now mist your roach with water to remove all the flour off it. Not fun but it works.
Pet Roaches
by alex | 7:27 AM in Breeding hissing roaches, Gromphadorhina portentosa, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, pet roaches | comments (0)
Great Exotic Pets For Your Children
by alex | 8:25 AM in Gerbil, great pet, guinea pig, Leopard Geckos, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, other types of pets, pet supplies, pets for children, pets for kids | comments (1)
Are you looking for a great pet for your kids? While the traditional cat or dog can both be great pets for kids, you may be looking for something a bit more exotic or unusual. In this case, you will be happy to know that there are many other types of pets
that can be a great choice for households with children.
The Guinea Pig
Guinea pigs can be excellent pets for children, though it should be noted that they do need to be handled gently in order to prevent injury. Since they are easy to handle and are usually quite tame, gentle handling is generally not a problem. Guinea pigs have a tendency to be quite active throughout the day as well as during the nighttime, which means they can provide entertainment to your children throughout the day. They do need to have a large living space, however, and they require fresh vitamin C-rich foods each day in order to stay healthy. In addition, they should always be kept in pairs in order to prevent boredom and loneliness.
Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches
Although most people don't think of cockroaches when they think of pets, Madagascar hissing cockroaches can make for a very unique and low-maintenance pet for a child. Of course, they are not cute, cuddly, furry little creatures, so you should make certain your kids are interested in this type of pet before you make a purchase. If so, you and your children will be happy to find that the cockroaches are docile creatures that can be easily handled. In addition, the hissing noise they make - which is not a sign of aggression - can be quite endearing.
Leopard Geckos
If your children are interested in having a pet lizard, the leopard gecko is a great choice. Not only are they easy to find when compared to other types of lizards, they are generally less expensive and far easier to care for. It is important to keep in mind, however, that leopard geckos do require a special tank set-up that can be a bit costly to get started. Once you have the tank set up properly, maintaining these creatures as pets is pretty simple and they are quite docile. Therefore, they can be easily handled by a child. After handling the pet, make certain your child washes his or her hands thoroughly with soap and water in order to avoid the possibility of becoming infected with salmonella.
Gerbil
If you are looking for a soft and fuzzy critter to buy for your children, you might want to consider a gerbil. Gerbils are smaller than guinea pigs, but they can also become quite tame if handled on a regular basis. It is important to note that they are very social creatures, so you should keep more than one at a time. In addition, they are quite active and can be a great deal of fun for your children to watch and to play with - just be sure to caution your children about grabbing the gerbil by its tail, as this can be quite painful for the pet.
