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Unusual pattern on Madagascar Hisser


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I found this guy in my tank of G.portentosa and (possibly) G.oblongonata roaches and I just don't know what to make of him. I don't know if he just hasn't completed hardening after a molt or what. Part of his "armor" looks chipped at the edges. Any thoughts?

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He got some bites taken out of the edges of his abdomen. If they suffer any injuries right after a molt, they often don't color and sometimes sclerotize fully (I'm not sure exactly why). Aside from making this instar a little longer due to the extra growth he'll need to do to fix it, there shouldn't be any long-term effects.

I have a now-adult female who was bitten like this, but on the metathorax, when she was presub; apparently that area looked just as yummy for her subsequent molts because instead of getting repaired, the damaged area grew slightly. It's mostly just a cosmetic thing although this female is significantly shyer and more skittish than the others (maybe it still hurts a bit). I've had others with the same injuries who pick less conspicuous molting spots and do fine, though.

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:( That's unexpected...
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