Hisserdude Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 What do you recommend as the best invertebrate pet after roaches? I'm looking for an inexpensive, easy to care for, and unusual-looking invertebrate. (I'm not a breeder, I keep them as pets.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozymandias Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 um it depends on what you looking for tarantulas can be pretty cool and easy along with scorpion or millipedes and centipedes, also there are some pretty cool species of isopods out there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlene Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 What I'd really like to get into, as far as inverts go are flag-tailed centipedes! They are communal, so you can have a colony of them in a tank, just be sure to feed them well as I don't know if they'd turn into cannibals. My fiancee recently got some blue feigning death beetles and harlequin flower beetles that are pretty neat! He says his blue death beetles are really easy to care for and fun to watch. Though sometimes he doesn't know if they're really dead or not, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Clausen Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I also vote for any beetles in the family Tenebrionidae, including the death feigning beetles and darkling beetles. I do like millipedes too because their tanks can be set up in a sort of wet terrarium habitat with plants that can be very pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Praying Mantis are good too but require small live foods like fruit flies when young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfox Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Nobody mentioned scorpions? Communal Centruroides species are great, I've always had small colonies of them. Otherwise you could try European earwigs (fun to watch and great parental behavior), or a species of widow or terrestrial (wolf or something) local spiders. Edit: Ozy mentioned scorpions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Salticids, man. Easily kept, fascinating to watch, and completely adorable! I also really love katydids, genera like Microcentrum take comparatively little work to master compared to many other orthopterans. They're also exceptionally beautiful and hunting them at night in summer is pretty exciting sometimes. Mantids are also really wonderful, but take more work than some of the other inverts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Thanks everyone! I already have a tarantula. My mom won't let me get centipedes or scorpions (we used to live where there were wild scorpions in the house and she is freaked out by them). We have the occasional jumping spider loose in the house, but not as pets. We also have isopods, earwigs, katydids and praying mantids in the yard when it gets warmer. Looking forward to the spring/summer so I can go searching! I have been thinking of darkling beetles, especially blue death feigning. Also I'd like to get an African giant black millipede. Unfortunately they are not easy to come by these days. Thanks so much for all the replies. It was fun to read everyone's suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlene Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 I used to not like centipedes either, but the flag tail centipedes are just AMAZING. You should try to get her to watch them hunt, it's so cute It should change her mind about centipedes, or at least just that particular kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking Leaf Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Hi, I can recommend Whip Spiders. They don't need a lot of space and happily feed on active, climbing roaches and crickets. They are no thread to people and very unusual. I keep a group of five Damon diadema since two years and they recently mated for the first time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantisMan Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I vote saturniids They r a lovely summer pet u just have to mate the adults and feed the larvae I can send u Luna cecropia or io eggs this spring if u want Just be sure to have pesticide free hostplants and a container on hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I forgot hermit crabs, crayfish, tadpole shrimp aka "triops", and fiddler crabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodesorel Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I forgot hermit crabs, crayfish, tadpole shrimp aka "triops", and fiddler crabs. Hermit crabs have requirements like tropical reptiles, and fids and crayfish need a proper palludarium and all the workings of a tropical fish tank. Don't get me wrong - all are easy to care for once you read up on them and they are great pets, but they are not inexpensive. (Boy, did I learn that the hard way!) Start-up costs are a bit shocking, although maintenance costs are relatively low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZOO CENTRE Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I prefer flower beetles and giant african land snails - but it is a problem in the U.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim the Bug snapper Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Phasmids? A real variety available and they don't all get huge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Most phasmids are illegal which makes them a bad choice. If where you live they are legal to keep they are great to keep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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