Indian stick insect
Carausius morosus
Classification: Insect

Lifespan: 6 months - 1 year
Threats: Birds, small reptiles and rodents due to it’s small size
Distribution: Native to New Zealand but accidentally introduced around the world
Habitat: Forest floor
Appearance: About 80-100 mm in length, ranging from a light green to a darkish brown in colour
Diet & Feeding: Leaf litter
Social Behaviour: As the insects are surrounded by food and have no need to find a mate, they have little natural inclination to move far
Males and females: They breed parthenogenetically - meaning that the young hatch from eggs produced without fertilization by a male
Number of young: They lay several hundred eggs
Interesting fact: If a young stick insect loses a leg it is sometimes able to grow a new one in a process called regeneration