Saturday, September 15, 2007

A Shy Stick


I have managed to photograph my sticks. On the whole they do not seem to mind having their pictures taken; in fact they do not seem to mind anything very much. The first picture shows the back end of a stick and actually he is being quite shy.

ALL of them poo at an amazing rate and if I did not change the paper every week they would probably begin to mind that.

They also grow quickly. I will have to change the fishtank they are in very soon because it is actually meant for one small goldfish and not five 6cm long sticks. If I do not give them climbing room they will become stressed and their legs start dropping off like nobodys business.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Nah, that's not a stick insect Wilf, you've been conned - it's a stick with legs - a bit like an acacia branch!

Anonymous said...

What, can a stick insect's legs *really* fall off if they get stressed?? How weird.

If my legs fell off every time i got stressed well... well, I'd probably be well onto my hundredth pair of legs by now!

Richard

Vesper said...

Lovely sticks (exotic) and post! It seems amazing to me that they can be kept in a fish tank. Pets?
What are they eating?

DD said...

How big are they? Do they grow into big sticks? Is MAC scared of them at all?

You'd love Scotland, there are some ginormous bugs up there

Wilf said...

I was beginning to wonder AV until they tried to clamber out of the tank. They are now so long they only have to trundle four times and they would be out (luckily we have a lid)and on the rampage.

Wilf said...

Yes, Richard, their legs really really drop off when stressed. Weird but true.

Wilf said...

Thanks, Vesper! I am not actually sure that they should be kept in a fishtank (we have removed the fish and the water) but they still have all their legs after 9 months, so I suppose they quite like it. They eat ivy leaves and they are also partial to bay leaves.

Wilf said...

They are now 7cm long, which is quite long really and still growing. I think you are right and MAC does not like sticks. Hmmm...

Do not talk to me about The Land of Dead Sheep (I went to Scotland for a week in summer). The Parents bought. 'Sounds of the Highlands' and play it ALOT.

Glad you had a good time but you need to talk to Miranda about insects - she is going to marry one, one day.

DD said...

I suspect the parents deliberately kept you away from the good bits, parents often have a Hidden Agenda. I'm sure that Making Children Do Improving Things might consitute a form of child abuse. There's a brilliant museum near Gretna called The Devil's Porridge that's all about Blowing Things Up, and an aviation museum near Dumfries. Also I found some excellent stag beetles. Parents tend to visit tartan factory shops instead.

I somehow had a feeling MAC wouldn't like sticks :)

Wilf said...

I like the sound of 'The Devil's Porridge' as long as it is not actual porridge eaten by the devil.
You understand The Parents very well, Dame Honoria -are you a parent?

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

Yikes... their legs fall off?

And I thought I had it bad when I get stressed!
Nevermind, things are better than I thought!


Scarlett & Viaggiatore