Hey everyone, welcome back to Shelby on Safari! and if you're new hello there! So guys
it's really exciting, because when I was going through our cockroach colony
I noticed a white Madagascan hissing cockroach! Which got me thinking...there's
not many videos out there explaining why this happens and so today if that is you
and you're wondering why on earth do I have a white cockroach in my colony well
look no further and let's get started!
To best answer the question let's have a look at cockroach anatomy 101!
Cockroaches are insects and that means their bodies are divided into three
regions: the head the thorax and the abdomen. They also have three pairs of
jointed legs, one pair of antenna and a rigid exoskeleton. And it's this
exoskeleton that will be the key to answering our question: why did I find a
white cockroach in my colony? Like other insects cockroaches don't have bones
inside to support their bodies like we do. Instead they rely on their
exoskeleton which is the hard outer covering that keeps everything well
inside. This exoskeleton is comprised of chitin which is defined as "a fibrous
substance consisting of polysaccharides which is the major constituent in the
exoskeleton of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi." But because exoskeletons
are hard they don't grow. But what happens when your cockroach grows up
quite literally, because they get bigger in the inside...
actually kind of like the TARDIS! So when they get too big in the inside the
cockroaches actually grow a replacement. This new exoskeleton develops beneath
their old ones and when they're ready they will shed their old exoskeleton
this process is known as a molt. Madagascan hissing cockroaches usually
will have around 6 molds reaching adult size in the seventh instar or stage, and
after they shed their old exoskeleton they emerge white like this guy. It's
unusual to see a cockroach after their molt
when they are white like this just, because of their own behavior. Because
all their muscles are attached temporarily to the squishy white
exoskeleton, white roaches don't move very fast and their soft shells make
them easy to attack, so they hide! So albino roaches aren't rare or an unusual
new species they're just growing! Over the next few hours this little guy's
exoskeleton will harden thanks to a hormone called burscin. Not only
will the hormone bursican can help to harden their exoskeleton but make it
darker as well. Now a word of warning, because their exoskeletons are so soft
when they're white, do limit handling them!
This little guy actually crawled on to my hand while I was trying to film with
the macro lens, so it lends itself to some good footage but because they are
so vulnerable do take care. Let them just be and grow and be happy that they are
outgrowing their old exoskeleton, that means you're helping them to become
happy healthy cockroaches!
If you haven't already check out my video on the Madagascan hissing
cockroaches, because you'll learn what this is and why this is important for
the cockroach! Now if only I could get it in focus...There we go I'll also put the
link in the description down below. Thank you so much for watching guys if you
learned something new why not give this video a thumbs up? Don't forget to let me
know in the comments below which animal you want to see next in my animals and
superhero comparison series! I really love making those videos and I can't
wait to create more so let me know your thoughts! If you haven't already be sure
to click the subscribe notification as well because you are not gonna want to
miss all the content headed your way! And I feel that Kiana is coming oh I was
Kiana jumping on the table let me flip it over so you can see her, there she is
she's stunning. Hello kiana! ...Gorgeous girl Bye guys!