The Madagascar cockroach is one of the largest cockroaches on earth. This cockroach can reach body lengths of up to 8 centimeters with black and brown color. Unlike cockroaches that we often encounter, this cockroach has its own uniqueness that attracts people to make it a pet. Its uniqueness is that it can make a sound or hiss when its body is pressed.
Hissing cockroach is how this cockroach is known among its lovers. This cockroach has a hard Exoskeleton for self-defense and the loud hiss it produces turn out to be one of the mainstay weapons to surprise predators. So, we do not need to worry about the cockroach bite.
As a prehistoric creature that does not mutate much, this cockroach comes from the Madagascar Forest, located in eastern Africa. In their natural habitat, Madagascar cockroaches feed on fallen leaves to survive. Well, indirectly, the droppings released by the cockroaches have an impact on forest fertility.
The erratic temperature of Madagascar’s forests makes this cockroach able to survive in any temperature or temperature conditions. However, during the breeding season, a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the most appropriate temperature for a given environment. Its resistance to living in any conditions makes this cockroach increasingly popular as a pet.
Do Madagascar Hissing Roaches Bite?
Well, Madagascar hissing roaches do not bite. In fact, keeping these animals is not difficult or troublesome. The slower movement of the cockroaches that we often encounter at home makes it easier for us to handle them. Handling is very easy to do. As long as they do not feel threatened, they will not try to run away or run if we held it in our hand.
We need to maintain the comfort of the cage. In fact, we can design a place to live similar to its natural habitat in the forest. Various kinds of media or substrates can be used as a place to live. However, a tetrarium filled with sand or sawdust is best. We can add a piece of wood into the cage as a hiding place.
These most radiation-resistant cockroaches are wingless. However, this should not let you off guard. Even though they can’t fly, this cockroach can crawl out of the cage. For that, you should prepare a wire ram at the top of the tetrarium as a cover for the cage. You can also grease the entire top of the tetrarium with wax. This waxy liquid acts as a lubricant so cockroaches can’t easily crawl onto the tetrarium.
For food, Madagascar cockroaches can be given cat food or dog food. Even for variations so that your Madagascar cockroaches don’t get bored, give them food in the form of vegetables and fruits such as carrots, lettuce, and melon.
As a pet, the Madagascar cockroach has another attraction, which is that it does not smell like the cockroaches we often encounter in dirty environments. This advantage makes us even happier to play with him.
On average, Madagascar cockroaches can live up to the age of 2-3 years. It is very easy to distinguish between males and females. You just see it from the size of his body. Males have a larger body size than females. In addition, males also have small horns near their heads. If you look closely, the antennae of the male have small hairs.
The animal, which has the Latin name Gromphadorhina portentosa, also has the prospect of being used as food for other animals such as colored fish, reptiles, and tarantulas. About 60 percent of high protein contained in his large body.
If you want the color of your fish or reptile to be more attractive, don’t hesitate to try giving this cockroach as food. Moreover, as feed, these cockroaches do not need additional treatment. You just give it directly to your fish or reptile.
So, from the explanation above, it can be concluded that Madagascar hissing roaches do not bite people. In fact, this roach is actually can be our pet and sometimes can be the source of food for our fish and reptile.