# Pregnant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach?



## IguanaMama

I came home to find this....

It is much longer since I took the picture.  When can I expect her to retract it back into her body and when can I expect babies?  Thanks for any info.  BTW, this is the second Momma I found like this.


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## bugmankeith

It could be pregnant, or aborting the eggcase.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## IguanaMama

WHAT!!!???!!!  OH NO!!!  Why would she be aborting the egg case???  Where can I read up on this?  Should I be doing anything special for her.  I'm feeding them ground up dog food, banana, orange, pear, escarole, cucumber--all organic.  lmk.


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## ShadowSpectrum

IguanaMama said:
			
		

> WHAT!!!???!!!  OH NO!!!  Why would she be aborting the egg case???  Where can I read up on this?  Should I be doing anything special for her.  I'm feeding them ground up dog food, banana, orange, pear, escarole, cucumber--all organic.  lmk.


It could just be airing it out like they normally do, or it could be aborting it because of stress, which if the latter is the case, you'll find the aborted ootheca on the ground. What you are feeding them sounds just fine. When well-fed, kept warm, and not disturbed, roaches are baby factories. My only advice would be to leave them alone, and when you do have to disturb the colony (feeding, cleaning, etc.) try to be quick about it. Good luck.


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## xelda

Aborting the egg case only takes a second.  That's why when you see your females extracting their egg cases, it's best to not disturb them, or else they drop the egg case then have to start all over again.  They build their egg cases outside of the body, rotate them, then pull them back into their body to incubate.  How long it takes for babies to show up depends on what temperatures you're keeping them at.


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## IguanaMama

UGH!  Well it's not good news.  What happened was, another female came up to her and started to fight.  I thought only males fought.  Early that morning, I had cleaned-up and rearranged their "furniture".  So my guess is they were still figuring out their spots.  I just got them last week, I'm new to roaches and I was just trying to give them a nice arrangement, but I knew I was disturbing them.  Anyway, after this big fight, she dropped the egg case.  I know I am anthromorphasizing, but she looked depressed.  I felt bad.  I'm not going to bother them again, just throw some food in there and clean up.   My tank is too small.  Also, I stay up too late looking at them, so I don't think I give them enough dark hours, I thing I need to get a red light bulb or something.  I'm too busy during the day to look at them, it's my only chance at night.  After Arachnocon, I will move them to a bigger tank, I'll just let them be for now.  

It's not the one to her immediate left that fought with her, but the one on the left of that one.  BEEETCH.  Also, I took out the cucumber, I just read that cucumber is not good for roaches.  Anyone else read that?  If anyone could recommend some websites or books, I'd appreciate it.  When I google, I get sites written as "roaches for dummies".  I took an entomology class in college, but my professor's specialty was ants, and that is the least interesting bug out there to me, so I never continued.

Here's a picture of their home.  If you see any glaring mistakes, please let me know.  I already realize it's too small however.

Reactions: Dislike 1


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## bugmankeith

Yes it does look a bit crowded. Also I see no place for them to hide under, roaches like the dark, and hiding or burrowing under things. If they are sitting On Top of the log all day in the light, then that is probably causing stress for all the roaches. Removing the cucumber was good also. It also looks bone dry in their, misting more would probably help also.


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## IguanaMama

Thanks for the comments.  The picture is deceiving as far as hiding spots because it was taken from the top, the cork bark and drift wood are arranged so that they can hide under it and sure enough they do.  During they day, they hide, that picture was taken late at night, when they move around more.  In addition, there are oak leaves and sphanam moss that they go under too.  I just misted.  I don't think I was keeping them humid enough either.  Thanks for letting me know to mist.


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## kraken

It looks like a good setup,must be hell to clean though.I keep mine in a rubbermaid with tubes and eggcrate.My kids have a setup like that though with 5 in it.Looks nice thats for sure,i like it iguanamama


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## bugmankeith

Hmm, could they be eating the oak leaves or moss and getting sick?


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## JohnxII

I find hissers reproduce better in a densely populated setup. The only problem I see in your picture is the cleaning problem... but looks like you are more into display than breeding?


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## IguanaMama

Yes, I am into display, not breeding.  I live in NYC and everyone here thinks cockroaches are discusting.  If I had too many, I wouldn't know what to do with them, no one wants them.  I already offered them to a couple of pet shops and they told me they wouldn't sell.  My friends look at me like I'm crazy, when I offer them to them.  My husband is an infectious disease specialist (MD).  He lances the most discusting boils.  He dwells on festering scabs.  He examines vomit.  He won't touch a cockroach.  Go figure.

It's not hard to clean.  The food is in dishes, so I just lift them up.  I read oak leaves are good for them and they eat them.  It's just sphagnam moss.  I can't imagine that this is bad for them.  Anyone else know anything about leaves and moss?  

I have chameleons, geckos, a bearded dragon and of course, lots and lots of spiders.  These I suppose can get fed dubias, but not hissers.  I was told hissers are too fatty and the shells are too hard.  Correct?


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## CopperInMyVeins

IguanaMama said:
			
		

> I have chameleons, geckos, a bearded dragon and of course, lots and lots of spiders.  These I suppose can get fed dubias, but not hissers.  I was told hissers are too fatty and the shells are too hard.  Correct?


Not to mention their defensive biting and kicking could seriously injure another animals because they're so strong.  When I fed one to my Tegu, it got destroyed, there were actually roach guts splattered all over the glass, because it had to bite it so hard to crush the shell, the lizards you mentioned are no Tegus though, I wouldn't use them for feeding at all.


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## xelda

IguanaMama said:
			
		

> It's not hard to clean.  The food is in dishes, so I just lift them up.  I read oak leaves are good for them and they eat them.  It's just sphagnam moss.  I can't imagine that this is bad for them.  Anyone else know anything about leaves and moss?


I'm a big fan of leaves and moss because it's more natural as a set-up and as a diet.  I think it's awesome you're doing naturalistic vivaria.  Your hisser set-up looks excellent.  It's got lots of places to hide for the females, and a nice little "mountain" for the alpha male to stand guard--which he is obviously scoping out in the lower left hand corner of your pic.  I think you're correct in suspecting that the furniture rearrangement is what stressed them all out.  Just give them time to settle down and they'll be fine.

As for using hissers as feeders, they do work.  Only the larger nymphs and adults have the hard shells, but the smaller nymphs are incredibly soft.  I couldn't tell you the number of times I've accidentally squished a nymph trying to pick it up.  They're THAT soft.

Reactions: Like 1


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## cacoseraph

xelda said:
			
		

> I'm a big fan of leaves and moss because it's more natural as a set-up and as a diet.  I think it's awesome you're doing naturalistic vivaria.  Your hisser set-up looks excellent.  It's got lots of places to hide for the females, and a nice little "mountain" for the alpha male to stand guard--which he is obviously scoping out in the lower left hand corner of your pic.  I think you're correct in suspecting that the furniture rearrangement is what stressed them all out.  Just give them time to settle down and they'll be fine.
> 
> As for using hissers as feeders, they do work.  Only the larger nymphs and adults have the hard shells, but the smaller nymphs are incredibly soft.  I couldn't tell you the number of times I've accidentally squished a nymph trying to pick it up.  They're THAT soft.


i use hissers as feeders to pretty good effect. if they are very large then i brain them and/or rip off the rear legs. i love them because i can feed one hisser to my big bugs and fatten them up right quick. the only down side is the insanely long growth period... i have had my colony for over 1 year and my first borns are not quite 2" yet

Reactions: Dislike 1


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## Stylopidae

The females are baby factories, though.

If you don't want them to breed, don't worry about the abortion too much. I recently had my last remaining prized female abort an ooth. They'll still breed and there are always the kind folks from AB to replentish your colony.

If you really are concerned about the possible abortion, try keeping a bible in there with them.


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## padkison

I feed hisser nymphs of various sizes to a glass lizard, anoles, a young fence lizard, local toads, a small pacman frog, spiders and Ts.  Once the hissers get beyond a certain size, they're safe.  I only feed them up to 1" depending on the diner.

Hey Iguana Mama, sorry about sending you the "BEEETCH", but she was causing a lot of problems down here.  I think she has some issues she needs to work out.  :razz:


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## craze horse

One of my females has aborted her ootheca. I feel partly to blame as we hadn't been getting on and had a row before I went to work.
On a serious note last night I saw her on ger back a few times. So I righted her. They're viv isn't massive but tall with hiding places but they all still like to sit on top of the logs ! I feed them beetle jelly and any greens I have. Peppers etc strawberries etc 
Anyways I checked on her before I walked my dog and came back and had another look in the viv and there is a long large ootheca sack laying on its own not attached. She isn't stood on her legs just lying there though her antenna are moving. Is she going to die ? Or just exhausted ? I'm a bit bothered as I like my pets happy.


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## craze horse

Just had another look at her she can support her own weight. Her legs have moved a little I'm hoping she'll be better by tomorrow. She still has some whit gunk near her rear end. Also a few teeny mites. Not good.


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## Dark

Craze horse, this thread is over 10 years old. I was shocked when I saw the members in this thread cause 90% of them are gone then I checked the dates. I'd say start your own thread next time. In any event, the female might be fine, it might be doomed. We don't have enough info and I'd say just give her time and space.

Eric

Reactions: Dislike 1


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## craze horse

Dark said:


> Craze horse, this thread is over 10 years old. I was shocked when I saw the members in this thread cause 90% of them are gone then I checked the dates. I'd say start your own thread next time. In any event, the female might be fine, it might be doomed. We don't have enough info and I'd say just give her time and space.
> 
> Eric


Sorry I didn't even look, just replied to a Google search. She's still moving slightly. Not good.


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