Giant spiny stick insect

Giant spiny stick insect
Eurycantha calcarata

They inhabit humid mountainous tropical rainforests, riversides and lower forest parts. Females reach 12–16 cm in length, males: 10–14 cm, weighing up to 25 g. They resemble their Indonesian cousins to a deceiving extent. During the day, they usually remain hidden. They have thorns on the femur and tibia, which are much larger in males. Thorny devils are active from dusk until early dawn. When well cared for, females can live up to a year in captivity – slightly longer than males can. The best food to feed them are shoots and leaves of blackberries and raspberries. They typically reproduce sexually, although females are capable of parthenogenesis in the case males are missing. A terrarium for these insects should be large, owing to the territorialism of the males.