Which Roach Species.?

[pdm]

I am new to the world of insects & just bought my first few roaches but it seems that I have chosen all burrowing species as I never see any of them so I am always looking at what appears to be an empty tank & if its dark in the room & one does happen to be out the minute I turn the light on & walk by the aquarium they dart under a branch or burrow back quickly into the substrate.

I was wondering if there are some species of roaches that is a non burrowing & non skittish type that will sit out in the open & won't run away when you walk by the tank or try to pick them up.?


Thanks in advance for your advice & help,

pdm

 

[Herp13]

Which is your current species? As for non-burrowing and non-skittish, I would get some Gromphadorhina portenstosa(madagascar hissing cockroach), they are very cool, large, and calm.

 

[pdm]

I have one of each of the following & all of mine are super skittish & hide 24/7

orange spotted, tiger hisser, peppered, velvet, domino(nymph)

Yea from what I read before I ordered the hisser & the orange spotted are supposed to be very slow moving & calm and easy to handle but mine aren't. I am wondering now if I just got lucky & happened to get the two that kinda follow thier own type of behavior pattern & go against the norm for those species.


pdm

 

[Snake_Eyes]

My B. dubia are skittish in their container but usually very calm when I hold them.

One of my sexy girls.

 

[xelda]

Hmm... I was just thinking, since cockroaches are gregarious, it could be that having only one of each species is what's making them more skittish than they typically are. But it could also be the way you try to pick them up and hold them, or the way you walk up to the cage. Just don't forget that they ARE cockroaches. It's their instinct to hide because nearly every other creature in the animal kingdom wants to eat them. There are some species that make great display roaches, but are completely not ideal for handling. So your choices are very limited.

 

[Herp13]

I believe Xelda is right, roaches are meant to be kept in colonies, and are oftne very skittish when seperated from the "motherland" I would try to get companions for your existing roaches before you get more.

 

[IguanaMama]

I agree. Cockroaches are very social. You should have more than one of each species. It makes them more interesting to observe too. I have a nice sized group of peppereds and they are always out. Same with the hissers, although I think my tiger hissers might be more skiddish than the regular ones. My giant hissers seem to be the calmest.