The newcomer from the island of Madagascar, a large hissing cockroach is difficult to call an average domestic pet - neither wool nor affection for the owner. But thanks to unpretentious disposition and funny habits, he came to be a fan of exotics. Owners of terrariums bred Madagascar cockroaches as a food for their pets.
Madagascar cockroach at home
Large (up to 10 cm) brown-coated brown cockroaches do not leave anyone indifferent - even those who do not greatly favor insects observe with interest the organization of their community. The content of Madagascar cockroaches at home has its own characteristics:
- Its name was hissing cockroach due to the ability to make a loud hiss during clashes with relatives and mating games. By volume, this sound is comparable to the boiling of a kettle.
- When breeding forage, you will have to get 20-30 adults. Over time, the population will inevitably begin to degenerate, and to periodically update it, you will need to pour in "fresh blood" by buying a few young broaches.
- Females are viviparous, at a time capable of fostering up to 40 larvae that reach maturity within 9 months will become indistinguishable from adult relatives.
- Conditions in the insectarium should be approximated to tropical: high humidity (minimum 65%) and temperature + 30 ° C. At + 20 ° C, the processes of vital activity of moustached pets slow down considerably and they stop multiplying.
- Cockroaches can be fed every 3-4 days, with free access to water.
What do Madagascar cockroaches eat?
In matters of feeding, the Madagascar cockroach is unpretentious, willingly absorbs both animal and vegetable food, but it is important to monitor the balance of nutrients. In the diet must necessarily be present calcium-containing foods, otherwise the cockroaches will begin to gnaw each other shells. Food should be fresh and without adding spices. An indicative list of what to feed Madagascar cockroaches at home:
- dry food (canine or feline);
- vegetables;
- fruit;
- greenery;
- eggshell;
- a fish;
- meat;
- dairy;
- grated rusks;
- crayfish.
Terrarium for Madagascar cockroaches
The size of the insect is determined by the number of individuals that are planned to contain in it: for the normal life of one adult, about 1 meter of living space is necessary. The container for Madagascar cockroaches should have transparent walls (better of plexiglas) and a securely closed lid, otherwise pets will have to be collected throughout the apartment. For securing, you can make an additional cover from the mosquito net, and apply the top part of the container walls with petroleum jelly or fat cream.
At the bottom of the container is a litter (sawdust, sand, clay, paper, cloth) and several shelters. The use of empty egg trays, in which the Madagascars can hide, is convenient. Change the litter will have time in a month and a half (depends on the number of residents). To cockroaches do not drown in the bowls with water, the drinker is made of cotton wool or a piece of sponge, which is daily moistened with water.
Madagascar cockroaches - reproduction
The breeding of Madagascar cockroaches does not require the cockroach-owner any effort - to start the process you need a pair of different-sex individuals. It is possible to visually distinguish the female from the male by the size of the body (up to 10 cm in female specimens and not more than 8 cm in males) and the presence of small horns on the sides of the trunk (only in males). Fertilized eggs are glued in a special container (ootec), most of the time hiding under the mother's armor. Periodically, the female exposes the ootheka to fresh air to be ventilated.
Breeding of the offspring lasts from 2 to 3 months (the term varies depending on the temperature in the container), after which about 40 kids (a couple of millimeters in length) appear on the light, having a light, almost transparent color. A few days later the cockroaches darken, and after 9 months they reach maturity, passing during this time several changes in the shell (ruler).
How many live Madagascar cockroaches?
The lifetime of Madagascar in nature rarely exceeds the 2-year mark. How many live Madagascar cockroaches at home, largely determined by the balance of the diet and the ability to create suitable conditions for them. If everything is done correctly, the life expectancy of pets increases by 1.5-2.5 times, amounting to 3 to 5 years.
Names for Madagascar cockroaches
For many people the idea of giving insects names seems strange. But the great Madagascar cockroach has such a vivid personality that it is simply impossible to leave it without a name. Several world zoos even held an action, inviting visitors to give the names of their loved ones contained in them to the Madagascars. Those who are not inclined to such radical actions, can call a pet by any strict name, for example, Havard, Robert, Edward for males, and Edna, Margot, Tara for females.