Axolotl

@Beaker41 What a gorgeous girl! I'm curious... Did the nymphs survive? How many did she birth during the ordeal?

Wish I still lived in San Diego!

OMG. I immediately had adrenaline pumping through me. Do not joke of such things, for I will want them. I've always been fascinated by two-headed herps. Does that even happen with invertebrates?

I have a cup full of old molts. It scares me every single time I find one, thinking I lost one.

Yes, G. oblongota are available for purchase -- and they are amazing. So huge and very prone to "hissy fits." I recommend placing a wanted ad in the classifieds to find a breeder. I have a handful of small nymphs available, but you might want to find someone with adult pairs to jump start your colony. If you're interested, send me a private message.

I have both in my Therea petiveriana (bioactive) terrarium, and haven't noticed any ill effects. They make for great decor, but I don't think they're eating them or hiding in them. C. schwarzi might use them as hides, though my schwarzi colony loved cork bark as a edible hide.

I've had this flare up from time to time in several of my hisser colonies, though most often on G. oblongonota. I see it rarely, yet with enough regularity for me to also think it's related to a biochemical/bacterial/fungal imbalance. It seems to show up overnight and only affects a few individuals at a time. Perhaps the individuals mite count drops enough that the fungus can flourish? All of my hisser colonies have mites, so I'm not sure what triggers the white bloom. Maybe a mite die-off? I've long suspected that the white coating may be a fungus, though a benign one that doesn't seem

I'm curious: Why are Henschoutedenia flexivitta and Nauphoeta cinerea referred to as "lobster roaches"? How did they get that name? Even using my imagination I can't see a resemblance to lobsters. And are they both called lobsters due to their similar appearance or were they once in the same genus?

Arthur Aeluropoda said: Find yourself some fat millipedes @SirUblaberus. We just got some #SmokeyOaks and Gordon Roachsay has nothing on them. Their poop is delicious! Best part: Nymphs don't seem to want any. #foodhacks #dontjudge #findyourownfood #moreforme LadyLat said: Just laid my first ooth. It took awhile to bury it because the other moms-to-be kept stealing my moss, but it's now tucked away safely underground. Time for some Bug Burger. I'm starving! #momlife #healthyeats

The USDA no longer requires a permit for B. giganteus. Full list of permitted species.

You could use the spray foam, paint on black silicone and pack coco fiber on top. It works quite well with little to no shedding of the coco fiber. I've been keeping them for years, and I doubt they would chew into that. They're more interested in high-protein and high-sugar snacks. In fact, it might provide a nice area for the nymphs to molt into adults.

I keep my non-climbing pie-dish beetles in a 2 gallon fish bowl and my E. arcanum in a slightly smaller bowl, both with no lids. They make great tabletop displays. i love being able to see them from all angles. I hadn't thought of putting isopods in one. I'll have to keep my eye open for more bowls!

I've noticed that my colony tends to get picky when I feed them too much. How often do you offer food? I always have chow and water crystals available, but only offer fruits/veggies every 7-10 days. Also, be careful with bread as it can lead to grain mite outbreaks and you definitely don't want that. If you're using them as feeders, stay away from meat and cheese as well. As for cannibalism, they will eat their dead friends, no way around it. Males will also fight and cannibalize when there's too much competition. I just feed off most of the males to my assassins to keep things calm.

In the summer if you have access to fresh, pesticide/herbicide free sugar maple, they'll throw you a party. Mine can't seem to get enough. They also really like apple, grapes and beetle jelly. For protein, I supplement with alfalfa meal, fish flakes and walnuts.

I feed mine dried sugar maple leaves, which is another hard wood. They love it. Most of my roaches prefer it to oak, but I only have access to Northern Pin Oak.