Atrax Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 I was doing maintenance in my Peppered Roach enclosure today, and found one of my adult females almost lifeless, with what looks like part of an ootheca hanging outside of her... Anyone know what happened? This really sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted April 21, 2013 Share Posted April 21, 2013 That doesn't look like an ootheca, may be a prolapse? Can you seperate her and see if she still eats. Could it be substrate stuck to her? See if she eats a banana if she eats that's a good sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atrax Posted April 21, 2013 Author Share Posted April 21, 2013 She can't walk, she does this jerk thing to try and move around... she's really weak =( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 It could be longterm dehydration. By now all there is you can do is put her in a warm moist enviroment and see if she will recouperate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 It could be longterm dehydration. By now all there is you can do is put her in a warm moist enviroment and see if she will recouperate. Whatever is protruding is what worries me. I don't think dehydration does that. But your right in that making sure she eats and drinks is the only thing to try and help her now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 AWE!! Atrax, it sounds like you really care about your little roach and I'm impressed! I'm an extreem roach-lover myself and it's is very rare to see anyone be that concerned about an individual as I would be. Most breeders mainly care about the survival of the colony. Since I have no experience with this species, I can't really help you. I'm sorry. It is three days since your last post. How is she now? I will say a prayer for her. Poor girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted April 23, 2013 Share Posted April 23, 2013 AWE!! Atrax, it sounds like you really care about your little roach and I'm impressed! I'm an extreem roach-lover myself and it's is very rare to see anyone be that concerned about an individual as I would be. Most breeders mainly care about the survival of the colony. Since I have no experience with this species, I can't really help you. I'm sorry. It is three days since your last post. How is she now? I will say a prayer for her. Poor girl. I care about individual roaches, I hand feed old roaches baby food so they don't starve. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Excellent Keith!! What kind of species do you have? I resist giving my German liquid food 'cause when I gave them yogurt, one or two of the nymphs drowned. However, most exotic species are larger. Over 20 years ago, an exterminator devastated my wild roach population in my apartment and even found and destroyed ones I'd protected in tanks. There where so few survivors that I named the ones I found and caught. One (Tutti) I had for 7 months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Excellent Keith!! What kind of species do you have? I resist giving my German liquid food 'cause when I gave them yogurt, one or two of the nymphs drowned. However, most exotic species are larger. Over 20 years ago, an exterminator devastated my wild roach population in my apartment and even found and destroyed ones I'd protected in tanks. There where so few survivors that I named the ones I found and caught. One (Tutti) I had for 7 months. Hissers, dubia, craniifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atrax Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 Well, she didn't make it... It was sad to lose her, now I noticed another one of my females has the same weird thing going on: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atrax Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 This girl seems fine other than this, she seems active and was really fighting me taking these pictures. I don't think it's dehydration. I give them a dish of water crystals, along with oranges every few days. I also keep one corner of their aquarium pretty damp. I have kept discoids, and dubias, which both have and are doing well. This really doesn't look right... please someone help. I really don't want to lose another one =( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atrax Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 Thanks. I have really grown to like my roaches, they originally were just for feeders, but now I keep 2 species, specifically for pets, hissers, and these peppered roaches. I have come a long way, at first I couldn't even hold a roach, they scared me, haha! AWE!! Atrax, it sounds like you really care about your little roach and I'm impressed! I'm an extreem roach-lover myself and it's is very rare to see anyone be that concerned about an individual as I would be. Most breeders mainly care about the survival of the colony. Since I have no experience with this species, I can't really help you. I'm sorry. It is three days since your last post. How is she now? I will say a prayer for her. Poor girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atrax Posted April 25, 2013 Author Share Posted April 25, 2013 The more I look at these pics... the more it looks like an egg case.. =( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wodesorel Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Did that happen to be her first pregnancy? I had the same thing happen with one of my Peppereds, and I saw it happen before on my first hisser. The females seem to have a membrane back there that has to rip the first time they hatch out nymphs, and it doesn't always rip smoothly. With the hisser all but one nymph was dead once she got it out after 48 hours of trying (and she had no trouble with future broods), but with the Peppered it was stuck like yours and unfortunately she didn't make it. Both had high humidity and moist substrate, so I don't think it was dehydration. I'm sorry that yours didn't make it either, and that you have another in distress. Wish I knew a way to prevent it or fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Did that happen to be her first pregnancy? I had the same thing happen with one of my Peppereds, and I saw it happen before on my first hisser. The females seem to have a membrane back there that has to rip the first time they hatch out nymphs, and it doesn't always rip smoothly. With the hisser all but one nymph was dead once she got it out after 48 hours of trying (and she had no trouble with future broods), but with the Peppered it was stuck like yours and unfortunately she didn't make it. Both had high humidity and moist substrate, so I don't think it was dehydration. I'm sorry that yours didn't make it either, and that you have another in distress. Wish I knew a way to prevent it or fix it. I only thought mammals had that feature of the membrane? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atrax Posted April 26, 2013 Author Share Posted April 26, 2013 I have only had them for a few months. I acquired them from a teacher at a local school that was selling them on craigslist. Problem is, I don't know if they were like this when I got them, and just didn't notice it, or it happened after. You telling me, you had this happen with both a hisser and a peppered roach like mine, is making me think maybe it's a humidity issue. Although I have been keeping them with some wet substrate in one corner, and some ventilation restriction on the aquarium lid, I never actually measured the humidity in the cage, and I'm wondering if it was too arid, and it caused these problems. I'm going to start monitoring the humidity, and see where it's at. Did that happen to be her first pregnancy? I had the same thing happen with one of my Peppereds, and I saw it happen before on my first hisser. The females seem to have a membrane back there that has to rip the first time they hatch out nymphs, and it doesn't always rip smoothly. With the hisser all but one nymph was dead once she got it out after 48 hours of trying (and she had no trouble with future broods), but with the Peppered it was stuck like yours and unfortunately she didn't make it. Both had high humidity and moist substrate, so I don't think it was dehydration. I'm sorry that yours didn't make it either, and that you have another in distress. Wish I knew a way to prevent it or fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briene Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Damn, I hope I never see this. I love my peppers! Hope it doesn't keep happening and you figure out what it is so we all know what's up : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 Awwe, I'm sorry about the other girl! I will say a prayer for the current one. Though I can't really help you, I can give you some ideas. Of those I know of on this site, Keith seems pretty knowledgable. There's also a breeder I know in New York City. Haven't contacted him in years but I believe his e-mail was roachmanwillis.com. Then there's David George Gordon who wrote "The Complete Cockroach". One of these men should be able to help you. If I can find their information, I'll post it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 This guy did genetic experiments with cockroaches, he helped me in the past you might want to contact him by email. His name is Joe http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atrax Posted April 27, 2013 Author Share Posted April 27, 2013 I really appreciate all the kind comments, and I'll definitely see if the people recommended can give me some ideas to what's going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted April 27, 2013 Share Posted April 27, 2013 Great, best of luck again. Did you get the information I sent to your personal mail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted April 30, 2013 Share Posted April 30, 2013 Atrax, Did you succeed in saving the second roach? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.