Cockroaches as pets you may ask - well these make great pets and are a nice large size for handling. The Madagascan Hissing Cockroach as its name suggests makes a loud hissing sound when picked up. If you want something different, try some of these!
This large cockroach reaches an adult size of 75 - 95mm (3 - 3.5 inches).Looking at the cockroach, they have a glossy brown and red abdomen and a dark brown, black head. Both males and females have bumps on the head, but the males are raised and look more like horns compared to the females.
Although they make a hissing sound when disturbed or threatened, they will not bite you. The noise is simply air being pushed through their breathing tubes on the side of the body.
Found throughout tropical forests in Madagascar.
If you want to breed these cockroaches, it's best to provide them with a high temperature of at least 26 - 32C (80-90F). You can keep them at a lower than this, but to get a colony breeding the higher the temperature the better. The best way to heat this species is to use a heat mat under half of the tank. Originating from the tropical forests, spray the tank daily with a fine water mister to keep the humidity in the range of 65-80%.
Very easy to keep and care for!
You need to provide this species with an escape proof tank as they can climb the glass/plastic of the tanks! Place a soil substrate approx. 2-3 inches deep with leaf matter and rotting wood mixed in. Use cork bark and anything else to hand for hides. Place a shallow water dish (I use a milk bottle top) and use a small dish to place fresh food in.
Feeding your pet cockroaches is very simple, they will basically eat pretty much anything. You can feed them on fresh fruit & veg, breakfast cereals, dog and cat food - this can be dried or tined.
