Extatosoma tiaratum (Australian flapper branch)

Origin: Australia and New Guinea
Length: males 12-13 cm, females 15 cm
Age: + - 12 months
The Australian flapper branch is a stick insect species that is native (as the name suggests) in Australia, but also in New Guinea. This species actually looks more like a type of cactus than a branch, the species is very prickly and also have striking spines and protrusions on their legs. They are often brown in color, but can also sometimes turn green. There is a clear size difference between the males and the females. Females of this species are thick and spiky. The males are narrow and have long wings with few spines. Like many stick insect species, Australian flapper branches can also reproduce without the need for a male. Only females will hatch from these eggs.

Grooming
Experience: Novice / intermediate insect keeper
Food: Blackberry leaf, raspberry leaf, rose leaf, hazel leaf, eucalyptus leaves and oak leaves
Feed adult: Branches with leaves of the above plant species
Feed young: Branches with leaves of the above plant species (for very small Australian flapper branches, cut the edges of the leaves)

Nutrition
The Australian flapper branches eat leaves from the blackberry, oak, rose, hazel and eucalyptus plant. Blackberry leaves can be found all year round (including winter). Watch out for rose bushes from the store, as these plants have always been sprayed with insecticides and are therefore poisonous to stick insects! Eucalyptus from the store is usually unsprayed, but to ensure that you do not poison the stick insects with this, it is best to inform yourself at the store where you would like to buy the plant.

Water
It is important to spray a portion of the stick insects well with water about twice a week. The Australian flapper branch gets a lot of moisture from the leaves it eats, but likes to drink drops from the leaves when it has just been sprayed. An enclosure with young stick insects may be sprayed more often per week (make sure it is not too wet, as young animals can drown in drops that are too large).

Cleaning
The easiest way is to cover the surface of the enclosure where you keep the Australian flapper branches with kitchen roll. It is best to replace this kitchen roll every other week. Once the stick insects have reached maturity, a good distinction can also be made on the kitchen roll between the feces of the animals and the eggs. If you are going to clean the enclosure do not do this with detergent, stick insects are very sensitive to this and can become very slow or even die. If you do use cleaning products, rinse the stay well. Young stick insects are really masters of escape, so make sure that when you remove the withered branches from the enclosure, stick insects cannot escape. Always check the withered branches carefully before throwing them away. You won't be the first to suddenly spot a stick insect at the top of your green container over time.

Handling
Australian flapper branches are generally very easy to handle. The young of this species can run very fast if they are not shedding for the first time, so make sure they do not escape. Like all stick insect species, the Australian flapper branch can also drop its limbs. When the animals are still young, they will simply grow back, but unfortunately this is not the case with adult stick insects. Always lift the stick insect carefully, taking care not to pinch any of its limbs. They will generally sit fairly quietly when you handle them, but adult males can still try to fly away. Therefore, always close windows and doors properly when you are going to handle or change the stick insects.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size per adult stick insect: 45 * 30 * 45 cm
Day temperature: 20-30oC
Night temperature: minimum 18oC
Humidity: 40-60%
Ground cover: Coco peat, kitchen roll, newspaper, etc.

Design
The layout of the accommodation for the Australian flap branch is quite simple. Stick insects must have food at all times. It is therefore best to put a pot of water in the enclosure, containing branches from, for example, the blackberry bush. In this way they also stay fresh longer than if you would simply place them in the terrarium. The bottom of the enclosure must be easy to clean, because the stick insects relieve a lot of pressure (this will easily mold when it becomes moist in the enclosure). When purchasing an enclosure, make sure that there are not too large cracks and / or seams as young animals can easily escape through this, as they can flatten themselves and crawl through the smallest cracks or holes. The accommodation must also have at least one ventilation grid.

Behaviour
Diet: Leaves and water spray
Lifestyle: Tree / shrub and twilight / night active

Character
Once it starts to get dark, this species starts to become a bit more active and you can also hear them eating (because they make a clipping movement with their head to eat the leaf). Young animals can sometimes run around the enclosure all day and night, this is nothing to worry about. The Australian flapper branch will regularly curl up its abdomen so that it starts to look a bit like a scorpion, this is also a kind of defense mechanism of the animals to show predators that they should be left alone. When an adult female is triggered too much, she can also start hitting with her spiny hind legs. However, this rarely happens.

Points of attention
Good ventilation in the accommodation of the Australian flap branch is very important. Make sure that there is always fresh leaves available for the stick insects to eat. Adult females eat quite a lot to produce eggs and will therefore have to be supplied with fresh food more quickly.

Costs and Purchase
Legislation: You do not need CITES or transfer papers to own Australian flapper branches.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for the accommodation, lighting, heating and any decoration. All together this can cost a few tens to hundreds of euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Besides water and electricity costs are not
Unexpected costs: There are hardly any if any