Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Range/Habitat: The forest floor of the island of Madagascar (Africa).

Diet: These cockroaches are decomposers and eat decomposing organic matter helping it break down into the soil of the forest floor. In the nature center, they eat mostly fresh vegetables.

Expected Lifespan: About 4 or 5 years in captivity.

Fun Facts:

• They are an important food source for a lot of animals in the wild and in captivity.
• They hiss by pushing air through spiracles in their abdomen. They are gregarious and rarely fight.
• Males will hiss loudly at competitors to establish dominance. Females are ovoviparous, meaning they give birth to live young (usually about 50 babies in a single birthing).
• Young cockroaches are called nymphs which molt larger and larger until they are mature adults at which point they cease molting.