Stick Insects are usually found in tropical climates, and are native to every continent except Antarctica. Their natural camouflage makes them hard for their predators to detect, but even when they are found many still have other defenses they can use to escape.
Beyond how they look, they can be a lot of fun to watch if you can find them. Sometimes it can be difficult to spot them while they’re in their enclosure.
Stick Insects are very docile, and are unlikely to bite or sting. They are also very easy to care for. Their eggs can be bought online or from breeders, and raise them yourself. This is a fun way to teach kids about biology.
Stick insects can be fed a variety of foods, but they mostly enjoy eating leaves. It won’t be a bad idea to grow some of their favorites. This way they can be fed all year long without needing to track down fresh leaves in the winter.
Despite what most people think they are actually fairly easy to care for. Fresh leaves and a good home with some sticks to climb is all they need to be happy and healthy Insects. Stick Insects can be bought for between $10 and $50 for as many as 50 Stick Insects. Some sites may charge more, but be careful not to overpay for them.
Stick Insects Information
- Average Length: 4 to 5 inches
- Average Weight: .9 to 1.1 ounces
- Skin Appearance: Rigid outer skeleton
- Skin Colors: Green or Brown
- Grooming Needs: Low
- Shedding: Several times before adulthood
- Sensitive to Touch: Yes
- Biting Tendency: No
- Tolerance to Heat and Cold: No
- Good Pet: Yes
- Safe with Children: Yes
- Good with Other Pets: No
- Suitable to live in an Apartment: Yes
- Good for Less Experienced Pet Owners: Yes
- Weight Gain: Normal
- Health Concerns: Deformations or Missing Limbs
- Average Life Span: 1 year
Physical Appearance of Stick Insects
Stick Insects get their name because they look like living sticks. Some Stick Insects may look like leaves, but most will look like living sticks. Their appearance lets them camouflage themselves out in the open and hide in their surroundings.
There are over 3,000 species of Stick Insects and they come in different colors and sizes. Most species are brown but they can be green, gray or black. The shape of their body varies but generally they will have a flat-shaped body like a leaf, or a cylindrically shaped body like a stick.
Stick Insects have two thread-like antennas on their head. Different species have different length antennas, but they are never longer than their body. Their eyes are small and their mouthparts are slightly lower than their body. Insects don’t have the same mouths as mammals or fish. They have parts that work like a mouth.
All species have six legs. Some Stick Insects have wings and if they do, they will have two pairs of wings. The front wings are hard and translucent. The rear wings are larger than their forewings.
Stick Insects can be up to 12 inches long and females are usually longer than males.
Temperament of Stick Insects
Stick Insects are most active during the night. They remain still during most of the day unless disturbed.
They don’t bite and can be handled, but they should be handled with care. They are fragile and should be held by their body, not their legs. Stick Insects will let you keep them in your hands, but because of how fragile they are it can be risky to hold them.
Their Compatibility with Children
Stick Insects can be a great pet for families with children. Caring for these insects is easy and children can look after their insects. Stick Insects are harmless and don’t bite. The only concern is if they try to escape their tank. Having an adult supervise the children while they handle Stick Insects can help keep them from escaping.
Living Space for Stick Insects
Stick Insects can be housed in a tall glass container or a plastic pet container. The container should have a lid that closes or a cover that allows good ventilation. Netting can be added around the container to keep your insect from escaping.
Cage Size
The height of the tank should be at least three times the length of the Insects. The height is important because most Stick Insect species hang from branches when they shed their skin. A cage that is at least 15 inches tall should be good for most types.
Substrate
The floor can be lined with paper. Paper is easy to clean and replace. Peat moss or vermiculite are other good options but will need more care than paper. Because many Stick Insects need very high humidity options like vermiculite and peat moss are better than paper. Your Stick Insect will need a substrate that holds and releases moisture well.
Best Climate for Stick Insects
The climate needs of Stick Insects can vary based on the species. Before setting up their cage, find out about the specific needs of the species you plan to get.
Temperature
Indian Stick Insects, the most commonly kept pet species need a slightly warm temperature between 70 and 75°F. The best way to maintain this temperature is by placing their enclosure inside a warm room in your home. If additional heat is needed it can be generated using a reptile heat mat. Heat lamps are not a good idea for Stick Insects because they can dry your insect’s enclosure.
A thermometer should be placed inside their enclosure to monitor the temperature.
Lighting
Stick Insects are nocturnal, and don’t need any day or night time lighting. If you want to light their enclosure at night we suggest dimly lit red LEDs because it will be better for your insect.
Humidity
The humidity should be kept around 75%. The humidity can be kept up by using a good moist substrate and misting their enclosure once or twice a day. Keep a hydrometer in their enclosure to check the humidity every day. Keeping their enclosure ventilated is important or it can lead to fungus or mold growth that can kill your Stick Insect.
The Attention a Stick Insects Needs
Stick Insects don’t need a lot of your attention because they tend to stay clean and don’t need human interaction. They can sometimes be left on their own for up to a week without anything bad happening to them.
Stick Insects can breed fast because they don’t need a male mate to breed. All females will lay eggs without a male, but all unfertilized offspring will be female. They are capable of laying 2 to 3 eggs every day after becoming an adult.
If you don’t want them to produce any offspring, their eggs can be removed from the eggs from their tank. Their eggs will usually be on the substrate. They are small, and look like brown seeds. To dispose of the eggs first freeze them and then throw them away. Without freezing them first the eggs may hatch, leading to a new population of wild Stick Insects in a place they don’t belong.
Health Issues
There are not many health issues that Stick Insects are known to have.
Deformations
Insects, like other animals, have many different body parts that can become deformed due to environmental or genetic factors. Some of the most common causes of insect deformations include exposure to toxic chemicals, radiation, parasites, and mutations.
One of the most obvious examples of insect deformations is wing mutations. These mutations can range from a slight diminishment in the size of wings to complete lack of wings altogether. For example, some species of moths and butterflies will have deformities like missing or reduced wings, causing them to be unable to fly. Some species of beetles and flies may have completely abnormal shapes due to their deformed wings.
Another type of insect deformity is having extra body parts or appendages. This is usually due to genetic mutations, which can cause the development of extra legs or antennae. These extra body parts can be a slightly different color and shape from their normal appendages. These deformities can also affect the insect’s behavior, as it may be unable to do what it used to do efficiently due to their extra limbs.
Insect deformities also occur due to parasites. Parasites can cause the insect’s body parts to become swollen, misshapen, or discolored. In some cases, these parasites can even affect the internal organs of the host insect, causing them to be malformed.
Missing Limbs
Insects often lose their limbs due to predation, disease, or environmental factors. This can be a major problem for the insect in terms of mobility and feeding. When an insect loses a leg, it’s more difficult for them to move around and they will have difficulty finding and catching food. Because of their lost limb, they can be more vulnerable to predators.
In order to compensate for their lost limb, insects will often use other body parts or structures to move or feed. Some spiders have been seen using their abdomen in place of a missing leg. Certain caterpillars have been known to move by using their antennae instead of legs.
Insects can also often regenerate lost limbs if they are still in the larval stage. If their limb is lost after they have become adults, regeneration is unlikely.
In some cases, insects can find ways to adapt to living without a limb. Ants that are missing legs have been seen using their antennae in order to move around and climb surfaces.
Overall, while loss of limbs can be a major problem for insects, they often find ways to adapt and survive in spite of this handicap.
General Stick Insects Care
Stick Insects molt their skin several times before becoming an adult. They’ll usually become an adult after 5 months. They are vulnerable during the molting process and should be left alone. They shouldn’t be handled until after their new exoskeleton hardens, about a week after molting.
Your insects molted skin and solid waste should be removed from their cage once a week. The sides of the cage should be wiped daily to keep everything clean inside their enclosure.
Feeding A Stick Insect
Stick Insects feed on leaves with most preferring to eat blackberry, rose, and hawthorn leaves. Indian Stick Insects like rose, hawthorn and oak leaves but other species may like blackberry leaves.
Knowing the species you have is important before feeding them because they will refuse if not given the proper leaf varieties. Stick Insects only like to eat fresh leaves, which can be an issue in the winter.
Young hatchlings should be fed soft leaves because they don’t have strong mouthparts to chew hard leaves.
Fresh branches of plants should be placed inside their cage. The branches should be kept in a water jar or vase to keep them fresh. The vase or jar should be stable so it will not tip over inside. To make them stable, stones or sand can be added to the bottom of the water jar.
The water jar should be secured from the top to keep your insects from having the bowl tip onto them. Using a container with a narrow mouth can help. Add some material like a net or cloth on the top of the jar to stop the Stick Insects from falling inside. Replace the branches once the leaves get eaten or dry out.
Another way to feed them is by giving them fresh leaves every 2 to 3 days. The leaves can be sourced from potted plants or kept in a water bowl outside their cage. This will keep the leaves fresh. The leaves and branches should be misted in the evening because it gives your Stick Insects water to drink and helps keep their tank humid.
Make sure all the leaves given to them are free of insecticides or pesticides. Pesticides can be harmful for your insects.
Related Questions:
Are Stick Insects Legal to own in the US?
Only native species of Stick Insects are allowed to be kept as pets in America. Non-native species are illegal to be imported or kept as pets. They are considered plant pests and should never be released into the open. Stick Insects reproduce very quickly because they don’t need a male to lay eggs. A bunch of eggs that were thrown out and hatch can quickly disturb the ecosystem. Find out about your local laws before getting Stick Insects as a pet.
Do Young Stick Insects Eat Their Exoskeleton?
Yes, young Stick Insects often eat their exoskeleton after shedding. After they hatch the younger ones take time to harden their shells. The molted skin can send a signal to predators that they have just shed and are vulnerable. Eating their molted exoskeleton protects them from predators and lets them recycle the protein.
Can Stick Insects Change Their Colors?
While most species don’t have the ability to change their colors, some species like the Indian Stick Insects can change their color. They will change their color to match their surroundings. The color change is gradual over time, and not instant like Chameleons.
How to Breed Stick Insects at Home?
To breed Stick Insects take their eggs and keep them in a different tank. The eggs can be placed inside a warm tub of sand or vermiculite. Depending on the species it can take anywhere between 6 weeks to a year for the eggs to hatch. Indian Sticks and Pink Winged Sticks take up to 2 months to hatch while Walking Stick Insects can take up to a year.
Maryna is an animal expert that has had dozens of animals in her life over the years. She has never found an animal that she didn't love immediately. It seems like every year she finds kittens that have been abandoned by their mom and she nurses them to health and finds homes for them. She contributes her vast knowledge about animals and family pets to our website and we're forever grateful to have her working with us. She's also an amazing graphics designer and has designed all of the social media images that we use across all platforms.