The Zoo is
CLOSED
for the winter season.
Visit us when we
reopen in April 2010.

Thorny Devil
Giant Stick Insect

Scientific Name:	Eurycantha calcarata
Range:	Tropics and subtropics
Habitat:	Forest and grasslands
Natural Diet:	Leaves
Zoo Diet:	Leaves from the Pyracantha (firethorn) shrub
Physical Characteristics:	Generally brownish in color. Giant stick insects can grow to 12 inches long.
Behavior:	Stick insects are mainly nocturnal (active at night). During the day, they may hide, motionless, under plants or because of their superior camouflage, they can sit in the open and remain unseen.
Reproduction:	Some stick insects drop one egg per day somewhere on the ground. The female stops a predator from getting an entire cluster of eggs by spreading her eggs around. Other stick insects lay their eggs in places that predators can’t find. Most stick insect eggs are covered by a hardened shell.
Notes:	Females are normally larger than males. Many stick insects fake death to trick predators, and may shed a limb to get away from an enemy. Young stick insects molt (shed their skin periodically; it is then replaced by new) until they reach adult size.