# Stick insect limb loss during shedding



## Hoppergrass (Jul 31, 2010)

Hi
I recently bought two austral Ian spiny stick insects at a pet shop(spectres I think they are called) they are not fully grown and the smaller of the two sped last week with no issues. The larger one shed overnight but it did not go well :-( the whole shed was left and liquid and two patches of blood on the floor. When checking she has lost both back legs. Upon checking the shed they are suck inside. Some blood was leaking from the body this morn and all seems to have dried up now. 
I don't know how she will cope but we have changed the enclosure now putting in more robust longer branches and will move them up to a bigger enclosure next week. This will be an old fish tank ( tall and thin) with thick gauze on top.
Will she grow the legs back? Will there be long lasting health problems? 
I kept Indian stick insects as a kid and we had one shed with a crooked leg and it was fine.


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

if it's not mature, it will grow back over a few molts, but if it has stopped molting then it will have to learn to function without a leg 

they adapt very well regardless of the situation


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## Hoppergrass (Jul 31, 2010)

spinnin_tom said:


> if it's not mature, it will grow back over a few molts, but if it has stopped molting then it will have to learn to function without a leg
> 
> they adapt very well regardless of the situation


Thanks for coming back so quickly  
how do u tell if they are mature? One care sheet says 8 inches but it's not that yet. She has lost both back legs will she be able to function ok?


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## iLuke (Jul 14, 2011)

Was the enclosure big enough for it? Was the sticks almost touching the top of the enclosure? Because it needs to be right near the top for them to molt nicely. And it'll get used to the leg loss.


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

Hoppergrass said:


> Thanks for coming back so quickly
> how do u tell if they are mature? One care sheet says 8 inches but it's not that yet. She has lost both back legs will she be able to function ok?


that's not problem, here to help
it really depends. they top out at about 7-8 inches though. about 8 including the tail part is the longest i've seen.

i found this too:
Missing limbs
Stick insects can lose limbs for a number of reasons and you should be careful to avoid any situation which may cause your stick insects to lose limbs. Some of the common causes of lost limbs include:

Overcrowding - the stick insects bite or knock off legs of other stick insects in their cage. Your stick insects should have plenty of room in their cage and this is especially important when they're moulting.
Fungal infection - if you suspect your stick insects have a fungal infection, thoroughly clean their cage and, if necessary, quarantine infected individuals.
Rough handling - stick insects are fragile and, like all animals, should be handled with care and respect.



iLuke said:


> Was the enclosure big enough for it? Was the sticks almost touching the top of the enclosure? Because it needs to be right near the top for them to molt nicely. And it'll get used to the leg loss.


^this


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## Timor (Oct 21, 2009)

spinnin_tom said:


> that's not problem, here to help
> it really depends. they top out at about 7-8 inches though. about 8 including the tail part is the longest i've seen.
> 
> i found this too:
> ...


Another reason could be lack of humidity. Do you spray the enclosure often?


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## Hoppergrass (Jul 31, 2010)

iLuke said:


> Was the enclosure big enough for it? Was the sticks almost touching the top of the enclosure? Because it needs to be right near the top for them to molt nicely. And it'll get used to the leg loss.


Hi the sticks went touching the top, but they are now. It shed near the bottom of the enclosure overnight so diet have a chance to help it out. Think new set up will make things easier, current set up is fiddly.


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## Hoppergrass (Jul 31, 2010)

Timor said:


> Another reason could be lack of humidity. Do you spray the enclosure often?


I spray twice a day but think will spray for longer and see if that helps. Just use small mister ATM, how much should the humidity be?


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## spinnin_tom (Apr 20, 2011)

Hoppergrass said:


> Hi the sticks went touching the top, but they are now. It shed near the bottom of the enclosure overnight so diet have a chance to help it out. Think new set up will make things easier, current set up is fiddly.


well good luck with it 
i suggest a net ?
i'll dig out a link

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

or similar


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## iLuke (Jul 14, 2011)

Yeah they need to be touching the top of the enclosure, literally. Otherwise it can go wrong as you've unfortunately witnessed yourself.


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## Ben.M (Mar 2, 2008)

I've kept this species for years as long as it is still young, the legs should grow back however the new legs will not reach full size.
A word of warning, do not spray young Extatosoma tiaratum with water, it can kill them. Spraying the enclosure or putting down damp tissue on the base to raise humidity should be fine. Once they are adult the females will have large wing buds(approx. 10-20mm long) and the males will have large wings that stretch almost the length of their body.
Also, to sex them, the females have a small cluster of spikes on the top of most of their segments, males do not, they are smooth.


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