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Indian Walking Stick

Also known as the common walking stick, the Indian walking stick is arguably the most commonly kept pet insect. These insects are native to India, as the name suggests. Interestingly, most Indian walking sticks are females. These 3-inch insects are able to reproduce without a male. It is estimated that one in 10,000 Indian walking sticks in the wild are male. The diet of these insects consists of bramble and ivy. Feeding occurs at night and the insects rest during the day. Their obvious defense mechanism is plant mimicry. They are able to blend in and look like a part of a stem or branch by tucking their legs next to their long, thin bodies. Females lay round eggs with a small protrusion on one end where the new insect emerges. The egg hatches into a miniature version of an adult. These miniatures do not have wings or reproductive organs at first. After molting several times, they mature to adults with both wings and the ability to reproduce. It takes four months of eggs to hatch.