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Open
Daily
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Thorny Devil - Giant Stick Insect |
Male thorny devils are glossy
brown.
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Female thorny devils are a dull
greenish-brown.
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| 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. |
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