Animals & Exhibits
Fun Facts!
Monster cockroaches! Some Madacasgar hissing cockroaches in captivity have been known to grow as much as 4 inches long!
Madacasgar hissing cockroaches are becoming popular as pets in the United States and in other countries, because they are not very aggressive and do not bite.
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach
Gromphadorhina portentosa
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Also called the hisser or hissing roach, the Madagascar hissing cockroach is one of the biggest species of cockroach. An adult will usually grow to as much as 2–3 inches in length. They are mostly brown, and have a black head and black legs. Unlike most cockroaches, they have no wings, but they are very good climbers. You can tell the different between a male and a female in two ways. The antennae of the male are thicker and hairier than the females, and male also has pronounced horn-like bumps on its back.
HABITAT
Found on the island of Madagascar off the coast of Africa, they live primarily on the forest floor of the rainforest, living among the underbrush and make their home in rotting logs and piles of leaves.
DIET IN THE WILD
Hissing cockroaches feed on rotting plants, fruits and vegetables, and decaying animals.
BEHAVIOR
Hissing cockroaches make a loud hissing sound by breathing air out through breathing tubes, called spiracles, along their belly. Sometimes they will hiss collectively, as a colony, and individually they may hiss when disturbed or frightened. Males also hiss when fighting with other males and to establish dominance. They are nocturnal, hiding from predators during the day and becoming active only at night.Young hissing cockroaches outgrow their exoskeletons a number of times as they grow, which they then shed in a process called molting. After wriggling out of the old exoskeleton, their new "armor" is whitish and soft, hardening after several hours. The young will repeat this molting process six times in the five months it takes to become adults, but will not molt again once they're adults.
STATUS IN THE WILD
Not endangered.
LIFE SPAN
Typically, they can live up to 18 months in the wild, and can live for up to 5 years.