# Indian Stick Insect Questions



## j4ke002 (Nov 27, 2011)

Hey all, I am new to the Pet Forums and have a couple of questions to ask about my two stick insects. 

Firstly, I am new to owning stick insects. I have followed guides for my Indian stick insects and have cared for them for the last month or two.

Ok, one of my stick insects keeps falling off the branches of privet that I keep in my tank that I keep them in. It keeps falling onto it back and cant get back up without help. It can grasp onto my hand sometimes but at others it cant. Before today, it was fine, and it could move a lot faster and wouldnt fall from the branches. Sometimes when I put my hand out for the stick insect to grapple onto, it wont, and it will just wave it legs about. I am scared that it may be dying. 

The other question I have is of the other stick insect, which is mainly fine, but its two front legs have started to become a purpley red colour at the top of the leg, is this an infection or can indian stick insects change colour?

Thank you for your time.


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## PoppyinJuly (Sep 20, 2011)

Sorry to hear one of your stickies isn't doing too well 

All adult Indian stick insects have reddish colouration at the top of their front legs - likely a defence mechanism as red is usually a warning sign to predators - so yours are probably approaching adulthood 

As for the other issue...hmm. There's a chance that the foodplant you're using has been treated with a pesticide or otherwise contaminated somehow - this would make the stick insect very disorientated and I'm afraid the prognosis isn't good if poisoning is the case. I'd recommend changing the leaves ASAP to minimise the risk of the other sticky becoming affected.

Other than this, I'm sorry to say that one of the signs that a stick insect may be reaching the end of it's life is losing the ability to grip. A kind thing to do is to place the stick insect on a wet bramble leaf (stricken stick insects appreciate a drink - they seem to get very thirsty) and hope for the best 

Just a few quick questions; is the poorly stick insect an adult? What type and how tall is the accommodation? Have your stickies moulted successfully at all?


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## Acrophylla (Apr 16, 2008)

The red colouration at the top of the front legs means that the Indian stick insect is fully grown. Stick insects which are fully grown lay eggs every day and so you need to look out for the eggs and only save a few or you will have too many stick insects! It's not looking good for the one that is falling off the twigs- the kindest thing to do is to give it water, so rest its head on a wet privet leaf or wet bramble leaf.


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## j4ke002 (Nov 27, 2011)

Thank you for the replies. It is able to grip the plants properly now, so I think it may have just been thirsty or something.


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## j4ke002 (Nov 27, 2011)

PoppyinJuly said:


> Sorry to hear one of your stickies isn't doing too well
> 
> All adult Indian stick insects have reddish colouration at the top of their front legs - likely a defence mechanism as red is usually a warning sign to predators - so yours are probably approaching adulthood
> 
> ...


The poorly stick insect is not an adult. However it is okay now. The accommodation is not very tall, but it is at least 3 times their length, I am planning on buying the special tank, but I can not remember where it is from, I will find out a bit later. I have found 3 full skins from the stick insects, even though I have only had both of them since the beginning of October.


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