Australian stick

Scientific name

Extatosoma tiaratum

Order

Additional location in the zoo

Family

Social Structure

קבוצה

Activity

Активны днем и ночью

Food

Vegetarian

Feeds on leaves

Dangers

Zoo Conservation Program:

Feeding/Enrichment Time

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Habitat & Distribution Area

Australia and Papua New Guinea

Conservation status

Deficient Data

least Concern

Near Threatened

Vulnerable

Endangered

Critically endangered

Extinct in the Wild

Extinct

Endangered status

Worldwide

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Israel

In the Bible

Weight

Life Expectancy

years

Interesting To Know

The Australian stick insect is common in eucalyptus forests on the Australian continent, where it feeds exclusively on eucalyptus leaves. Stick insects are nocturnal and are well camouflaged, resembling eucalyptus leaves.
Males and females look different from one another. The male has wings and a slender, elongated body. He is a strong flyer, which helps him reach the females.
The female is heavy-bodied, spiny, and clumsy.
After fertilization, she lays her large eggs (4 mm) on the ground. There are over 100 of them, and they hatch after about 9 months. The young nymph resembles a large ant, and some claim that it mimics the appearance of poisonous ant species so that predators will avoid it.
Lifespan: Males—about half a year; females—over a year.

In a small exhibit in Pini Amitai’s room at the Children’s Zoo, the stick insects are hiding—and hiding very well! Stick insects are camouflaged to resemble twigs or leaves growing in their habitat and are considered among nature’s finest masters of camouflage. This is a unique group belonging to a separate order within the insect class. There are over 2,500 known species worldwide; most live in tropical regions, but some species inhabit more temperate areas such as New Zealand and Europe. Only a few species live in Israel. Stick insects undergo incomplete metamorphosis; that is, instead of a larva and pupa, there are several nymphal stages that resemble the adult in shape but are not sexually mature and lack wings. All stick insects are herbivores that move slowly among the leaves in search of food. The species capable of flight are poor fliers. Since flight and alarm calls will not deter their predators, stick insects rely on camouflage to evade predators. Their bodies resemble a twig or a leaf, their coloration matches (shades of brown and green), and even their movements mimic the trembling of slender twigs and leaves in the wind.