Hi everyone! Hope you're well? Shelby here and today we are going into the
incredible world of the Madagascan hissing cockroach! They are amazing
and I can't wait to share with you, with the help of Indy here of course, some
amazing facts about these guys! We got footage of baby cockroaches and also we
got facts that will hopefully convince you that not all cockroaches are bad!
Isn't that right bud? And they sometimes they even star in movies! So stick around to
the end to find out which movie they have appeared in! So, let's crawl to it!
Lemurs aren't the only cool thing found on the island of Madagascar!
Meet the Madagascan hissing cockroach. One of the world's largest species of cockroach,
coming in at about two to three inches in length. But, they are wingless so they
can't fly! You know the phrase "don't judge a book
by its cover" ? Well 99% of all cockroach species are NOT household pests!
This means 1 percent gives the rest of these amazing creatures a bad reputation!
You know how some animals use their antlers to fight? Well the male
Madagascan hissing cockroach, like Indy here, has that adaptation too.
Notice those two black bumps above his head, those are his "horns". They use these
to fight over the ladies. Males can even show off by standing on their toes this
is called stilting!
I know what you're thinking, how could these cute little critters make a
hissing noise? Well they actually do so in a way that's quite unique! They push
air out of their spiracles, which are small respiratory openings along their body.
Hissing isn't just limited to males,the females can hiss as well! In fact, each
individual has their own hissing noise! They make these noises when they're
disturbed or maybe to show aggression as well.
The Madagascan hissing cockroach actually has a BFF in the form of a mite.
These mites spend their entire lifecycle on their host and when the host dies so
do the mites. These mites act as a cleaning crew, getting rid of any mold
that might grow from any leftover food debris that the cockroach eats!
Here's Indy's girlfriend Marion, and she is stunning because she does something
really cool! She is ovoviviparous meaning she gives birth to live young!
Now it's not quite what you might think, because the eggs
actually hatch inside of her! And then she releases them so technically it is a
live birth! How trippy!
The female carries the eggs and the neonate nymphs for about sixty days until they emerge. One female alone can produce
as many as thirty to sixty nymphs! These little guys will undergo six molts
before reaching maturity in about seven months.
When the nymphs are first born, they're actually white. Over time their exoskeletons harden.
Madagascan hissing cockroaches are detritivores. Which means they eat
decaying plant matter and sometimes animal matter.
They are great recyclers! Madagascan hissing cockroaches roam the jungle
floor eating decaying fruit and vegetables even leaf litter to help keep
the forest clean. They know how to tidy up!
Because of their docile nature, they make great actors! Especially on the set of
major Hollywood franchises. In fact, they starred in one of my favorites! Want to guess?
Maybe this will help! While they may not be a professor of archeology, part-time.
They did make a cameo in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom!"
They've also showed up in "Men in Black"!
Thanks so much for watching! If you have any questions or comments please leave
them below and don't forget to give Indy here a thumbs up while you're at it! And
if you haven't already... what do they need to do? Click to subscribe! We'll see you later, bye!