Really Wild Pets

When we say say these animals are "off-the-wall" we mean it! These guys can climb on anything, even up a piece of glass vertically with ease!! They have some sort of suction cups on the inner part of their legs and angled spikes on the outer part to help them do just that. They can attach themselves to just about anything! That is why we believe that it is important to have a top on your Madagascar Hissing Cockroach habitat or they will be out exploring your world! During our research, we found a suggestion that you keep a 3 inch band of petroleum jelly on the upper walls to prevent escapes. This seems reasonable and harmless for the adults and young ones, just a little messy for cleaning the habitat. Since these animals have special needs it is important to prepare your habitat before you bring your insect pets home.

	MADAGASCAR HISSING COCKROACHES!! (Gromphadorhaima portentosa) Insecta Order Orthoptera
When we say say these animals are "off-the-wall" we mean it! These guys can climb on anything, even up a piece of glass vertically with ease!! They have some sort of suction cups on the inner part of their legs and angled spikes on the outer part to help them do just that. They can attach themselves to just about anything! That is why we believe that it is important to have a top on your Madagascar Hissing Cockroach habitat or they will be out exploring your world! During our research, we found a suggestion that you keep a 3 inch band of petroleum jelly on the upper walls to prevent escapes. This seems reasonable and harmless for the adults and young ones, just a little messy for cleaning the habitat. Since these animals have special needs it is important to prepare your habitat before you bring your insect pets home.
	4KIDSmagazine.com visited Valerie Sallows at Glenoaks Feed & Pet in Sun Valley, CA, an owner of several of these really wild pets. She gave us some good information about the care and feeding of these animals.
Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches need a humid environment so it is important to have a spray bottle to mist them at least once everyday. Their need for moisture is very important and if they do escape from their environment, they won't survive. The animals like to have places to hide and to crawl under, on and around things.		Cardboard egg cartons make great places to hide and also retain moisture to help with the humidity level. What makes the cardboard egg cartons so practical is they come free with eggs and they are disposable. Use part of one or a whole one depending on the size of your habitat.
	No special lighting is required but heat is an important factor. The temperature needs to be between 60-96 (degrees) F. At the lower temperatures the cockroaches will not grow or breed. The ideal temperature is about 70-85 (degrees) F.
The animals need to have a small dish for water and a small dish for food. Place a paper towel in the water dish to prevent the young ones from drowning. All animals will be able to drink effectively and safely from the wet paper towel. You should clean your cockroach's habitat once a month. In their natural habitat, the cockroach lives in the forest which is covered with leaf litter. You don't need to have anything on the floor of your habitat unless you want to. If you want something, we suggest small wood chips like the ones that are used in gardens. They are available in pet and garden stores. Remove the hissing cockroaches to a safe place while you are cleaning the habitat. (We suggest a clean jar, but make sure you cover the top with something that also lets the air in. A piece of paper with holes punched in the top, small enough to not let the animals escape and a rubber band to hold the paper in place works well.)
Wipe the bottom of the habitat with a wet paper towel and then a dry one. Replace the wood chips, if you use them, put the cockroaches back in and replace the egg carton if needed. About every 6 months or so, we suggest that the cage should be cleaned more thoroughly with a small amount of glass cleaner and then wiped out again with a cloth wet with water and then dried out.
Description: Males and females are about the same size when full grown, about two to three inches in length. Males have two large bumps on the head (prothorax) that they use for territorial battles. (They butt heads together!) The females lack these bumps. They get their name "Madagascar HISSING Cockroach" from the sound that they make as air moves through special valves that are located on their abdomen. These animals don't bite, so you don't have to worry about getting hurt, but we found that it is hard to get them off of you because of the suction cups they have on their legs. The barbs on the outside of their legs can be sharp and can be startling but you won't get hurt. Home Range: These large wingless, crawling insets are found on the tropical island of Madagascar, east of the main continent of Africa. Status: Common in Madagascar, but restricted to the island. Natural Habitat: They live on the forest floor that is covered in leaf litter. Captive Habitat: How many animals you have decides the size of the environment you will need to keep them. They don't need a large space and you could keep them in just about any type or size of terrarium or aquarium. You will need to have some sort of a top, because they can crawl on and up everything. (Even glass!) Most pet stores have small terrariums with screen tops, but unfortunately the screen in the top is large enough to keep the adults from escaping but not the newly hatched young. If you are worried about escape, we suggest that you try the petroleum jelly in a 3" band around the top on all four sides of the habitat. Behavior: These animals are Omnivorous. (They eat both meats and vegetables.) Captive diet includes ground dry dog food, dry cat food or monkey chow. The fresh vegetables include green leafy vegetables such as collards, spinach, romaine and green leaf lettuce and mustard greens, carrots and apples. (Try other fruits and vegetables!) Life History: Life span is 1-3 years. The young are born "alive", that is, the egg case hatches as soon as it contacts the air and the baby cockroaches are about 3/8" in length when they are born. The empty egg case is then passed by the mother. The adults do not eat the young and they are semi-communal, so you can keep several animals. Males are territorial, so they will fight if kept in a too small environment. The animals are nocturnal, so they are a lot more active at night, spending the day hiding under their water and food dishes and in the egg cartons. The animals need to be kept at a controlled warm temperature (60-96 degrees F) and misted (they like it humid!) on a regular schedule. There is a gradual metamorphosis (change of form) to adulthood and the young can reach adult sizes in 3 - 6 months.
		(Left) Casings of young Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. They shed their whole bodies several times during their metamorphosis to adulthood. The back of the body splits open and a soft, white animal crawls out leaving the old one behind. As the new shell hardens, it turns dark.
These animals are not expensive (about $5-$6 each) and are becoming more popular in pet stores. They make good pets with a minimum investment. Although these guys aren't cute and cuddly like a puppy or a kitten, they do make unique and interesting pets. If any of you out there already have Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches or would like to raise some, let us know what you think of them! Also, share any helpful hints you might have, such as good ideas for habitats, weird food your cockroaches like or problems you might have had with them. Inquiring minds at 4KIDSmagazine want to know!