# Macleay's Spectre Stick Insects (Extatosoma tiaratum)



## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

I have been doing some reading on these, and am quite taken by them. 

Does anyone know where I can get some from? I live in peterborough (near cambridge), and go to univeristy in london, so near either of these places would be good. 

I have seen some on ebay, but would prefer to buy from a shop or local breeder. 

I was thinking of keeping them in a poly box (for _now_) that I have, with mesh over the top instead of the lid. Feeding brambles, tissue on the floor, and sprayed daily. Any pointers would be helpful!

Thanks!


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## grim reapers sidekick (Jul 3, 2007)

Look on e-bay under feeder food , it's the only way they're allowed to sell sticks. The missus has about 500 eggs , all different varieties . If you buy them as eggs they work out cheap .For the price of 1 stick you can get about 20 eggs, but you have to wait for them to hatch , some species can take up to a year.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

grim reapers sidekick said:


> Look on e-bay under feeder food , it's the only way they're allowed to sell sticks. The missus has about 500 eggs , all different varieties . If you buy them as eggs they work out cheap .For the price of 1 stick you can get about 20 eggs, but you have to wait for them to hatch , some species can take up to a year.


Thanks. Yeh, I found them on ebay, under feeder food, (lol), but as I say, I would rather get them locally if possible. Also, I would prefer nymphs to eggs, so I dont have to wait for them to hatch (I am a bit impatient!)


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## salad dodger (Feb 13, 2007)

i have a few adults of these left, & loads of ova.
the set up you described sounds fine , just as long as theres plenty of height for shedding.
they love eucalyptus and (when we get out of winter) oak .
they also eat plenty of other foliage too.
good luck with them : victory:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

salad dodger said:


> i have a few adults of these left, & loads of ova.
> the set up you described sounds fine , just as long as theres plenty of height for shedding.
> they love eucalyptus and (when we get out of winter) oak .
> they also eat plenty of other foliage too.
> good luck with them : victory:


Cool. Yeh, I heard they eat eucalyptus as well, but where would I get that from? Buy a plant from a garden centre, or does it live in england?


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## salad dodger (Feb 13, 2007)

AshMashMash said:


> Cool. Yeh, I heard they eat eucalyptus as well, but where would I get that from? Buy a plant from a garden centre, or does it live in england?


i have a few eucalyptus plants/ trees that i trim regularly.
you can get them from garden centres or ebay .
just make sure they havent been treated with any pesticides .
or you can buy sprigs from a florist - above applies again though.
or just have a wander round your neighbourhood & look in gardens ,
best to ask the neighbours before you hack down their plants though:whistling2:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

salad dodger said:


> i have a few eucalyptus plants/ trees that i trim regularly.
> you can get them from garden centres or ebay .
> just make sure they havent been treated with any pesticides .
> or you can buy sprigs from a florist - above applies again though.
> ...


Haha! Yeh, thanks, will do. 

I'm still looking for some though if people know of any?


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Just bumping my thread.... as above: "I'm still looking for some though if people know of any?"

Peterborough, Cambs or London area if possible... ta!


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## wizzasmum (Mar 6, 2006)

AshMashMash said:


> Just bumping my thread.... as above: "I'm still looking for some though if people know of any?"
> 
> Peterborough, Cambs or London area if possible... ta!


Should have some hatching in a couple of months. Mail me arond March on [email protected] if still interested.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

wizzasmum said:


> Should have some hatching in a couple of months. Mail me arond March on [email protected] if still interested.


Thanks for replying... I have got some now! 

See:

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/spider-invert-pictures/83558-my-new-stick-insects-extatosoma.html

and

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/spider-invert-pictures/83808-photo-s-challenge-macro-junkie.html

Thanks anyway!


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## captaincaveman (Nov 6, 2006)

dude, you gotta get some giant spinys, the male defense technique is so cool

heres the back legs


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

captaincaveman said:


> dude, you gotta get some giant spinys, the male defense technique is so cool
> 
> heres the back legs


Wow, awesome! Well, if these ones actually survive, (meaning I really am capable of keeping something alive that a 5 yr old child can... which at the moment is not looking good  ) then I will get some more different types! I do think they look well cool. Yours looks really cool. 

Some one on the forum is posting me some indian stick insect eggs, due to hatch sometime in the nearish future (weeks or months), which will be cool. They dont look as cool as the spiny-type ones though!


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## captaincaveman (Nov 6, 2006)

AshMashMash said:


> Wow, awesome! Well, if these ones actually survive, (meaning I really am capable of keeping something alive that a 5 yr old child can... which at the moment is not looking good  ) then I will get some more different types! I do think they look well cool. Yours looks really cool.
> 
> Some one on the forum is posting me some indian stick insect eggs, due to hatch sometime in the nearish future (weeks or months), which will be cool. They dont look as cool as the spiny-type ones though!


yeah, im hopefully getting another pair of these on saturday from my mate, its only the males who hurt with the leg thing(i think its when they become fully grown adults), but they both do it, there was a pic on the internet somewhere, i wish i'd saved it to show you

They curl their tails over like a scorpion and stand on four legs with the back two sticking out horizontally, then if you go near the backs they slam them right in your finger, i believe the males spray to, but less common in captivity unless you really annoy them, prettty impressive when most sticks just prefer to blend in, its nice toi have some with other behaviours:no1:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

captaincaveman said:


> yeah, im hopefully getting another pair of these on saturday from my mate, its only the males who hurt with the leg thing(i think its when they become fully grown adults), but they both do it, there was a pic on the internet somewhere, i wish i'd saved it to show you
> 
> They curl their tails over like a scorpion and stand on four legs with the back two sticking out horizontally, then if you go near the backs they slam them right in your finger, i believe the males spray to, but less common in captivity unless you really annoy them, prettty impressive when most sticks just prefer to blend in, its nice toi have some with other behaviours:no1:


Oh wow cool. Are they expensive? So, can you handle them?


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## captaincaveman (Nov 6, 2006)

AshMashMash said:


> Oh wow cool. Are they expensive? So, can you handle them?


 
i was given them, yeah you can handle them, but the males as adults have to be picked up carefully:lol2:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

captaincaveman said:


> i was given them, yeah you can handle them, but the males as adults have to be picked up carefully:lol2:


Awesome! Yeh, they do look cool. 

Update this morning: the 'dead' one is stil probably dead (I say probably, as it _might_ be alive, I'll check this aft, it doesn't look it). The other three are doing _excellently _now. They have eaten the new brambles put in there, loads of them, so that was clearly the problem, poor things. So, looking good now.


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## bugdude (Dec 5, 2007)

*have a look*

hi there will be a bugfair soon at kettering and they should have some there:2thumb:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

bugdude said:


> hi there will be a bugfair soon at kettering and they should have some there:2thumb:


I have got some now ta! Although, I think I'll prob still go to the bug fair. Went there last year, it was awesome! Do you know the date and address? It was some lesuire centre last time...


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## bugdude (Dec 5, 2007)

*hi mate*

hi mate glad everything's fine dude


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

> Do you know the date and address?


? Ta!


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## bugdude (Dec 5, 2007)

*me think*

hi me not to sure yet will know nearer the time me think it will be april time.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

bugdude said:


> hi me not to sure yet will know nearer the time me think it will be april time.


Ok, cool, ta!


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## pecks (Dec 29, 2007)

If you like sticks join The Phasmid study group. Good group good advice and livestock avaliable foc (When you are a member). They have in culture over 160+ sp. I have eggs at the moment. Just cover P&P. Young look like ants. Eucalyptus is their natural diet. Once you know what it looks like you will find it everywhere. Alternativley visit your nearest garden centre once a week wit secatuers.


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## ChrisBowman (Jan 1, 2008)

dont buy any from ebay i got some live ones and they came in an envolope and half off them were dead :lol2:


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## garysumpter (Apr 18, 2005)

*Where to get Eucalyptus?*

Hi guys,

Offhand, do you know where I can get a Eucalyptus plant? Is it a common thing?

I was reading up last night and didnt realise that Eucalptus is the highly preferred diet of the spectres!

Many Thanks

Gary


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## leadly (Jul 22, 2008)

Mine are fond of blackberry bush/bramble.

tried them on strawberry plants and they loved that aswell!!


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## garysumpter (Apr 18, 2005)

.... and am I right in saying they like the leaves from rose bushes?


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## salad dodger (Feb 13, 2007)

garysumpter said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Offhand, do you know where I can get a Eucalyptus plant? Is it a common thing?
> 
> ...


 eucalyptus gunni is everywhere , look in the gardens along your neighbourhood streets ,
theres bushes & trees all over.
but you can buy them in garden centres etc (just make sure theres no nasties on them /in the soil)
tbh though , et's will live their entire lives on just bramble quite happily


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

captaincaveman said:


> yeah, im hopefully getting another pair of these on saturday from my mate, its only the males who hurt with the leg thing(i think its when they become fully grown adults), but they both do it, there was a pic on the internet somewhere, i wish i'd saved it to show you
> 
> They curl their tails over like a scorpion and stand on four legs with the back two sticking out horizontally, then if you go near the backs they slam them right in your finger, i believe the males spray to, but less common in captivity unless you really annoy them, prettty impressive when most sticks just prefer to blend in, its nice toi have some with other behaviours:no1:


Hi, I've never fancied these because of that (yeah I'm a wuss), but can't adult females also zap you with their ovi pod tube thingy, or what ever they call it?


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

just saying don't worry yourself about finding eucalyptus if you can't, they will happily take bramble and oak, not privet though. Also they do seem to like it pretty dry so i think daily spraying might be a bad idea unless you have them in one of those flexariums with the mesh walls.


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

Think we've got caught in an old thread guys.


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## joeyboy (Jul 19, 2008)

yes and no the question we are all answering now is new, but the guy asking about eucalyptus as bumped a very old thread to ask.:2thumb:


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## Howmany (May 31, 2008)

hi people


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## Super-Sadist (Jun 10, 2009)

I bought mine from Rep-Tech in windsor...The website is down at the moment which is highly irritating but they are health and look great. 
They're only about 5-7cm right now, so not to big to or to small just now.

Mine are going in a flexarium soon (look them up!) but atm they live in an upside down mesh metal bin =) this is fine for now as they are pretty small.


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## Muze (Jun 20, 2007)

Just a warning about Eucalyptus plants, i bought 3 just over a year ago (they were about a foot in height) for my son's sticks and now i have three 8ft trees in my small back garden :lol2:

They grow like wildfire and im having to take a foot of the top of each regularly to stop them growing:devil:

Plenty of stick food tho...but all his sticks have now died :gasp:

Think i got my son's original sticks off Salad Dodger and cant recommend him highly enough!!


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## BenjaminBoaz (Jan 6, 2006)

I'll be selling nymphs of ET's at donny also have other sp. with me.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Again, someone bumped my _really_ old thread :|


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