Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just had a neat picture to share and I'm trying out a photo hosting website.

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Victor Gomez
gomezvi@yahoo.com

he sure is an interesting buggy for sure.

My goodness, Our creator sure has a sense of humor, as well as allowing him to fit right in, (the leafy look)

Hes actually quite beautiful, whatever he is
He looks better camoflouged than my leaftail geckos.
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PHEve/ Eve

Contact PHEve

That is an Australian Giant Spiny Stick insect, Extatosoma tiaratum. At time of picture, she was about 2-3 inches long. They grow to about 5-7 inches long. If you think she's impressive, you should see the adults!
The really neat thing about them is that they are parthenogenic, meaning they can reproduce without any males present. Females will lay infertile eggs which will hatch into little baby sticks. When they're first hatched, they're about 3/4 inch long, with red head and black body. They curl up there abdomen and look just like big ants.
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Victor Gomez
gomezvi@yahoo.com

OK, it's still early...mantids... ;-/
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha

Such a pretty girl, great outfit! LOL

I like her, they are like whiptails, some of them reproduce without males also.

Thanks GOD we Human woman can not do that, ahhhhhhhhh kids just appear, a few times a year, can you imagine, LMAO
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PHEve/ Eve

Contact PHEve

I was asking my friend if he had any suggestions on phasmids that I might be able to use as prey items for my chameleons. Ones without defensive chemicals, non-toxic, and without a very hard exoskeleton. He pulled this lil cutie out and I knew I couldn't feed something like THIS to my chams.
But he STILL didn't answer my question. hehehe
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Victor Gomez
gomezvi@yahoo.com

answer, was...

" I'm not telling you, they are too COOL "
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PHEve/ Eve

Contact PHEve

I think there is actually a gecko that is parthenogenic and lays eggs. The babies are little female clones of itself.
I can't remember which gecko it is but I remember that there were some in areas of Florida where it had become established after being introduced. I guess only one had to get away for it to become established. LOL

yeah, I remember that coming up once before here...maybe you? lol!
I think someone came up it...hmmm, maybe someone will again.
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha

Hey Victor - is this one of yours??? Very cool. I'd love to get into mantids at some point- I love the orchid mantids. What one is this?

Are you looking for a site to put your pix? If so, I use Webshots.com and like it. You can download it to your desk top to get pix from your camera.

Show me more!!
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info

0.1 Veiled - Luna
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta
1.0 African Clawed Frog - Skipper
0.3 Mad. Hissers (2 died ;(
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha

Lele;
I only wish it was mine. All phasmids are illegal for the average joe to keep, including this cute lil girl.
I also heard the USDA has just declared all exotic mantids illegal, siting rules that have been on the books for years.
No, this cutie belongs to an entemologist friend of mine who is able to keep any/all bugs he wishes for 'professional' reasons .
However, I did take the picture! That is all mine!!!!!
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Victor Gomez
gomezvi@yahoo.com

Very cool! I hatch some out every year for my rose bushes. They keep all the other pests off!!
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Feenie

1.1 vieled cham.- Stitch and Rana (Missing you,Chloe)
2.2 Canines Junior-pitbull chiuahuah mix, Jose- chiuahuah, Pearl- Staffie, and Daisy- Red nose Pit- foster child
1.0 boyfriend- Trent species unknown

BTW, California silkworms is selling praying mantis egg cases for buy one get one free.
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Experience and appreciate nature's creation.

www.zenexotics.com

Not a mantid, but a phasmid. This lil girl is a strict vegetarian.
Interestingly, it's an EXCELLENT mimic!
When they're first hatched, they mimic ants.
Once they got a bit older, they curl their abdomens up a bit and mimic scorpions to scare off predators. Plus, they do the leaf thing. They remain perfectly still looking like a twig, but will move like back and forth like leaves in the wind if they have to move.
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Victor Gomez
gomezvi@yahoo.com

Sorry Victor! It is a great mimic I agree! Fooled me!!! Great photo btw!
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Experience and appreciate nature's creation.

www.zenexotics.com

I should have been a bit more clear when I put the picture up. I just wanted to see if anyone could guess what it was.
Looking at my subject line, I do sound a bit pissy. Not the tone I meant to convey
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Victor Gomez
gomezvi@yahoo.com

That's ok! I get a bit defensive about my herps and other exotics too...
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Experience and appreciate nature's creation.

www.zenexotics.com