GIANT CRICKET. GIANT. Your gecko would be terrified!

[mistersprinkles]

The 'largest' (heaviest) insect may be this newly discovered 'Wetta', a type of tree dwelling tropical cricket. It is the size of a large rat. Here is the news story and some snaps.

The Web is Bugging Out Over Monstrous Insect Discovery | Trending Now - Yahoo! News (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-now/bugging-over-monstrous-insect-discovery-165139603.html)

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n88/111olbap/giantcricket.png

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n88/111olbap/GIANTCRICKET-1.png

Yes. A cricket the size of a large Hamster. And there you go. :shock:
It may not be the longest but they are saying it is possibly the heaviest yet discovered. Found in a tree. In NZ.:o

[youngster]

My beardie could take it!... :)
That's pretty awesome, thanks for sharing

[exwizard]

Two words... "oh maaannnn!"

[infernalis]

Chomper would like that......

[mistersprinkles]

My beardie could take it!... :)
That's pretty awesome, thanks for sharing

I can see a large monitor taking it on. no problem. Bearded dragon MAYBE. It'd have to be a huge bearded dragon with some serious guts. :D
Chomper could handle one of those I bet for sure. he'd probably like it.

Honestly, given the ease of cricket keeping, that'd make a great pet for a scorpion or spider person. If it cricks though... the horror. Imagine the noise if that large a cricket chirped. The horror. That must be an adult though as it's the largest ever found and I see no wings so I think it'd be silent.
Seriously though. A 20 gallon long with some landscaping, water cubes, some cricket food and carrots and cucumber. Nifty terrifying pet. You'd have a conversation piece for any visitor that's no doubt. You can even hold it and hand feed it a whole carrot and then a turkey!

[KORBIN5895]

Your a day late and a dollar short. That was posted already in weird news. I had a hedgehog once that would have given it a go. I watched him take on a 6 inch praying mantis once.

[mistersprinkles]

Poor mantis. That insect has a glint of awarentess to it. I think it should be respected. JM2C and no offence.

[KORBIN5895]

I had it out in my back yard having a little roam. It went over to the shrubs ans was poking around. Then it started huffing and making noise. When I went over he had half of the abdomen eaten. So I just crushed the mantis's head.

[millertime89]

Chomper would like that......

start a breeding colony for him!

[Wolfus_305]

I would be terrified. I'm not a fan of crickets

[Kayla90]

EWww and I thought the small ones were gross XP
For some reason things with more than 4 legs gross me out...

[mistersprinkles]

I had it out in my back yard having a little roam. It went over to the shrubs ans was poking around. Then it started huffing and making noise. When I went over he had half of the abdomen eaten. So I just crushed the mantis's head.

Seems humane.

[DeesBalls]

i would so keep that as a pet!!

wonder how long/high it can jump?

[millertime89]

Paging Stephan
think of all the protein you would get from one of those...

[SnakeyJay]

Freaking huge cricket!!! All I can think is facehugger off Alians :D

[mistersprinkles]

wonder how long/high it can jump?


It can obviously leap tall buildings in a single bound. :D:wacky:

[mistersprinkles]

Actually, I imagine it can not jump high or perhaps at all. With that much mass and a relatively soft exoskeleton crickets have, hard landings could cause injury. Also, as it lives high in trees, I doubt it has a need to jump. Crickets typically are not high jumpers.

[whoaxmary]

Forget how high it jumps, imagine how annoying the chirping would be at night with a colony of those around!