An Insect Very Few People Like..But a Guest in my Home

[martianmoons]

I first met them in an exhibit at the Liberty Science Center in NJ when my two girls were little. Frankly, they gave me a case of the skeeves

Comments

[aoitenshi]

Wow that's fascinating! Madagascar hissing cockroaches are pretty big and don't look so much like regular cockroaches so I guess it's fine. ;) And yes, do post pics!

[martianmoons]

They do look different, and their hissing is very interesting! They are usually very quiet, but try to pick one up, and if it gets upset it will give you a good hissing to! ;)

[jillianisme]

i'm excited to see photos. congrats on your new friend(s).

[martianmoons]

Thank you, you are a very open-minded person! :)

[botia]

YAY! I think you might be the only other person on my flist with them! Mine are so cute!

We also have lobster roaches.

I think you'd get a kick out of my Vietnamese giant centipede, too.

[martianmoons]

Sounds like a wonderful household! It is amazing how interesting these creatures are, but so few people are interested in considering non-traditional pets...

[botia]

Hissing cockroaches are SO much easier than snakes, too...anyone squeamish about feeding mice to snakes should enjoy the cockroaches' more gentle dietary habits :)

[deadskie13]

I think the aversion lots of people have to cockroaches, are the deal where you usually run across them in deteriorating conditions, and so they're not exactly something you'd like to just happen upon in your house and all.

But when you introduce something into your home as a pet--well then, things have a way of changing. And so I hope you continue to enjoy having them about--they sound really interesting!

[martianmoons]

Thank you, that is so very well said! Most species of cockroach do not invade homes, in fact, but of course the entire group gets branded as a result of a few home-invading species! ;)

And the Madagascar roaches are adapted for life on the forest floor, so it is really interesting to see how that adaptation plays out in their behaviors. :)

[astrelsa]

Heh heh, I was thinking you might be talking about a praying mantis.

[martianmoons]

Interesting you should say that, because from what I have read, the mantises descended from the cockroaches. :)