Indian Stick Insect Care Sheet

Indian Stick Insect
ADULT FEMALE
Specimen provided by Henning Lindigkeit.
Photo taken by Henning Lindigkeit.

The Indian Stick Insect is probably the best pet walking stick. They are robust, large, tropical, stick insects originating from the Palmi Hills of Tamil Nadu, in Southern India. They are very popular in Europe, where they are legal to keep, and are frequently seen in European classrooms. In the United States, you need to get a permit from the USDA in order to keep them, because this species can be a potential pest species. The Indian Stick Insect only lives from 6 months to 1 year on average, but it is asexual with adults laying up to 3 eggs a day, so it makes up for it's short life. Males of this species are extremely rare, but they do exist. The Indian Stick Insect is the hardiest out of all the walking sticks, making it a great captive stick insect!

Range	Tropical forests of southern India.
Type	Arboreal.
Diet	Babies and adults eat the leaves from bramble, rose, raspberry, hawthorn, ivy, privet, blackberry, and pyracantha. Some have been known to feed on romaine lettuce.
Full Grown Size	4 to 5 inches.
Growth	Fast speed.
Temperature	65 to 80° F.
Humidity	75 to 80%.
Temperament	Docile and calm.
Housing	Babies can live in a tall clear plastic container with a screen top. Adults can live in a 10 to 40-gallon tank with a screen top, depending on the number of stick insects. Height is more important than floor space.
Substrate	2 to 3 inches of peat moss, or potting soil.
Decor	Branches, live plants, vines etc. make good climbing accessories. They also need these decorations to hang upside-down on a branch or a leaf for molting purposes.
Other Names	Laboratory Stick Insect, Laboratory Walking Stick, Common Green Stick Insect, Common Green Walking Stick, and Indian Walking Stick.