# Elliptorhina chopardi



## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Hi folks does anyone keep these guys? Just bought a group off ebay tonight been researching them for a while, wondered if anyone here has them and what you use for a substrate? And any pics of setups would be a great help? Cheers for any help, don't think they're hugely common but thought i'd try my luck asking


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

Actually yes! I do have them, you can't find much on google about them but I keep them on eco earth, fairly humid, I feed mine mainly carrots and cucumber. Carrots are good because they don't go mouldy and rotten as fast. I'll post some pics later if you want. As far as I know keep them the same as you would normal hissers (not that I keep any other roaches though! :lol2


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Woohoo yeah pics would be great i'd love to see some please? I'm getting a group of 10 but doubt they'll stay at 10 for long? I've found a couple of roach forums when i did a google search yesterday and got some info there. Am gonna try some dry dog food and i've asked my family to give me any fruit/veg peelings to try them with and will be getting some fish food as well. Do you give yours egg boxes or anything? I'v got a small RUB i set up earlier and will be getting them a bigger one when i get paid nxt week. They will be my first roaches, and i'm planning getting some bigger hissers and eventually keeping them in 4ft tank i have.


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

I checked ebay and its the same guy I got mine off. I prefer a more natural set up so i don't like egg cartons. Mine like it nice and humid and eat anything when they are happy. I've got to charge my camera now so i can take some pics later. :2thumb:


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Cool cheers andy much appreciated


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

Thats ok! Its nice to finally find someone who keeps these too! We will have to keep in touch about their progress and compare findings! :2thumb:


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

Had just enough battery left to get 3 shots, couldn't get one of the set up though. I'm just using a cricket tub atm as they are quite small, fast and climb glass/plastic easily.

First one is a female and the other 2 are males I think.


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## andyh75 (Nov 16, 2008)

Here's my small colony when i bought them from kempton last october


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Aye that'd be cool andy. Were yours adults or nymphs when you got them?


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

That answers my question lol they were nymphs?  


Cool thanks andyh what substrate is that you have?


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

That looks like orchid bark. Obviously mine have a lot more growing to do than i thought! :gasp: Mine were tiny when i got them, smaller than woodlice.


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

All arrived safe and sound today, gonna have to downsize them to a cricket tub tho. Got 3 that are probs around 2cms and th rest are mix of smaller sizes. Got them in temp accomadation while i'm at mums, nicked a carrot from her veg basket and they've had a bit of a munch already lol they are cool wee things. How many did you get in the group you got andy?


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

7 in mine, but ones gone missing so 6 now! :lol2:


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

LOL i keep thinking they must be well tiny when they're first born! How long have you had yours? And have any of them moulted? One of mine is pale so i'm thinking it must be about to moult.


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

I've never seen mine moult and i've had them a few months, i think they eat their moults like centipedes.


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Really? How weird lol Got mine all settled in a cricket tub last night with some bug gel, bit carrot, bit dry dog food and wee bit bread, the well munched on the dog food lols. My daughter has decided they are cute coz they look like woodlice, she reckoned they were waving they're anntenae (sp?) at her through the temp jar i had them in and deided to wave back, and they should all be named billy (she's 13 lol)


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Down to 9 now. Found one of the small ones dead last night. Am thinking it's the one i thought was gonna moult. It didn't seem to happy when they got here. The others seem to be doing good. Tried them with a bit mushroom but don't seem to bothered. They also seem to prefer the pets at home own brand food i use to the james wellbeloved food lols. Gonna try apple and fish food this week.


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

Tried mine on dry cat food, wet cat food (in jelly) today. They have eaten all the jelly off the wet stuff and a bit of the meat but no sign of eating the dry yet. They have a staple diet of carrot that they seem to really enjoy.


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Apparently if you mist/wet the dry food they are more likely to eat it, could try and see how they go? Can they have wet dog food? Don't have a cat but got a couple of mates that do so might nick a wee bit off one of them to try lols. I've also read that they like fish food sticks which i wanna try.


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

I assume cat food and dog food = the same (i think) :2thumb:


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Mine haven't arrived yet, but I was wondering about complete dog bics. I use them in my Pachnoda beetles and both the grubs and larvae eat them.
Andy you mentioned the spidershop selling wood flakes so I've ordered some of that to try as well.
I also have some banana roaches (Panchlora Nivea) they're actually quite pretty. Pinched the pic off Ebay ( just incase you're thinking OMG she's got hairy arms :lol2










Trouble is I get these things intending them as feeder food then after looking after them I don't have the heart to do it. :blush:


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

SORRY THE HISSERS I MENTIONED EARLIER WERE 20p EACH AND NOT £1.


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Saw your other thread slinkies mum yeah thet's the same guy. Think that works out cheaper than i got mine lols! I got mine so when they breed i can feed their babies to my T's.

I had one of the bigger ones out for a wander earlier and it left a clear blob of dunno what on my hand? Also noticed it was rubbing it's sides with it's feet like a T does when it flicks hairs was weird. And it felt tingly when it looked like it was nibbling my fingers lols. Gave a bit apple, some tropical fish food and got a pouch of dog food but never thought to check and it's in gravy DOH! So fished out a couple of bits of meat but will give the dogs the rest and get some in jelly tommorow.


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Well I usually start bidding on ebay but when it gets too high I go and ask on the forum. He always sells cheaper on there.
They came this afternoon, all different sizes. Just put a bit of pear in for now and a couple of dog biscuits.


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

What fish food do you use?


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Straying from the thread a bit but these are on Ebay Xylotrupes gideon sumatrensis. Does anyone know anything about them, they look very impressive...

Origin: Sumatra, IndonesiaSize: males: 50 - 80 mm, females: 40 - 55 mm


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## andy07966 (Mar 10, 2009)

If i were you i'd get them off here, they might be 9 months old and be at the end of their life if you got them off ebay. I speak from experience, i got those exact beetles from ebay (different seller), kept them perfectly and about 4 - 6 weeks after I got them they died. There is one seller on here (can't remember the username, you will find it in the classifieds somewhere) who sells those and seems very reputable and, more than likely, cheaper.


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Well he says they are newly adult but like you say they could be old. I think they might be a bit too difficult for me, I haven't kept beetles for long and I've only got the easy ones.


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

I got some tropical fish food coz it's got a slightly higher protein level than goldfish food. I read on here Allpet Roaches (Powered by Invision Power Board) that the sticks are better coz it have gluten levels which help with breeding but i'm not sure if that's for the bigger hissers that lay eggs rather than the mini ones coz they have live babies. 

Hmmmm might have to go look on BN slinkies mum and get a few more, wish i'd thought of doing that before getting off ebay coz mine were £8.05 inc p+p!!!


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Just got myself a pair of Gromphadorhina portentosa off ebay lols! Will be using these guys as just pets me thinks says they're about 4inches atm


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

:lol2: your spiddies would think you were trying to feed them to death. Didn't know they grew so big what do they max out at and how big do the E Chopardi grow to then?

My grandaughter who's 4 went to a nature reserve place. They were all given a plastic spoon to scoop up bugs from under a rotting stump. All the girls were screaming but she was just picking them up with her fingers and dropping them in the collecting bucket. I got into the bug thing cos she was terrified of them just to show her they were harmless. Now she not frightened of them any more and I've got more than I can count :lol2:


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Well i've always wanted some of the big roaches as pets for years, and i got the E.chopardi mainly as feeders they get about 1- 1 1/2 inches i think and the plan is to feed them to the spiders as population control. The big ones i'm not sre of but the pair i'm getting said they were 4inches and will do the same as population control and poss try the leos with them as well. But my adults will be for me to handle.

The way i got into keeping stuff is my OH's fault i've always been into weird and wonderful pets but always thought they'd be difficult to keep and he got me Ekko my first leo and that's when it started lols. Got charlotte may last year and fell in love she is amazing temprement wise. But she's the only one i've handled and only one i would but not on a regular basis, which is why i thought the roaches would be good. I'm to lazy to have furries! The big roaches apparently get quite tame with handling!


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## gwinni (Oct 8, 2007)

Just found this caresheet for the G.portentosa How to keep and breed Madagascar hissing roaches, Gromphadorhina portenosa, with pictures from what i've been reading it's same care for E.chopardi. Also there's 4 diff types of hissers. And i'll be able to keep the two species i've got/getting together woohoo!


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