Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are often run into at theme parks on Halloween, where there are roach-eating contests. And there's a museum at the University of California, Davis, that has a display of them. But did you know that they're a good pet for someone who's never had a pet before? They're clean and actually pretty calm creatures; they only hiss when disturbed or mating. Kids think they're neat because of the hissing sound they make. Imagine: it's an exotic pet you or your kid can find out lots of neat information about! For instance, did you know that cockroaches live on every continent, including Antarctica?

Several Hissing Cockroaches will fit into a 10-gallon tank, even a styrofoam one. It should be kept at a fairly high temperature, around 80 degrees at least. (When the temp is low, roaches will slow down). There should also be hiding places in the tank, for them. Corkwood is a good idea for this.

Hissing Cockroaches eat vegetation. Fresh vegetables and dog or cat food is good. Oranges are great, because they'll give the roaches fruit AND water at the same time. They also seem to really like carrots. Otherwise for water, just soak a sponge and put it in the tank; they can sip up what they need from that.

Hissing Cockroaches can live with others of their kind; in fact they seem to like doing so. They'll sometimes all hiss in unison, but nobody knows why. They'll live in colonies of both genders. They can mate at any time during the year.

"America's Next Top Model" made them recognizable to many people because of the fright they gave a few of the contestants when they had to wear them in a fashion show. Because of that same show, some roach owners decided to start decorating their pets. That's right: you can buy jewels and some decor for not only your dog or cat, but your roach too, if you feel like it. The process of bejeweling the insect is something like putting on fake nails. It shouldn't be done when you know your roach is going to lay eggs, though!

So if you want a very low-maintenance pet, I'd suggest a Hissing Cockroach. You'll see they're fun! Next time you are at the zoo, try tapping on the glass at the Hissing Cockroach exhibit and be prepared for the sound that could change your life.

http://exotic pets.about.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M adagascar_hissing_cockroach
http://media.www.fsunews.com/m edia/storage/paper920/news/200 6/04/13/Lifestyles/The-Roach.B roach-2354097.shtml
http://www.ucmrp.ucdavis.edu/
http://www.bronxzoo.com/

Learn more about this author, Jess Howe.
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