Sorry if you don’t like our cute pet! It’s time to change the soil again for our Colombian Hercules larva. Today was such a shiny day, it was nice because the larva wouldn’t get exposed too long to the cold autumn weather.
We keep the larva in a big plastic case filled with special soil that contains food for the larva. It would then eat the soil until the case is about half-full or less, and then we change the soil with new one. It’s the 4th soil change already, the last one was about 4 months ago. The larva hasn’t grow much bigger since the last time we saw it. I don’t think it can grow any bigger than this, though. We hope next year it will start to metamorphose into a giant beetle!
Go to my flickr set for more pictures! (if you want to, of course)
omg.. this is such an informative thing i learned today… can’t wait to see it turn into bettle.. by the way, i thought u were showing a chocolate rolled dessert or something ( apologize about that).
I agree with Marilyn, I can’t wait to see what it looks like when it turns into a beetle.
Hai mba…
Lucu yah…jadi akan jadi kumbang ..wow..:)
What an amazing nature story you tell here! I’m loving this unique creature. How will you be able to maintain the adult form once it metamorphoses?
Actually bettle is an easy pet. They’re relatively calm and quiet with low maintenance. Usually they are kept in big plastic case filled with little soil, dried leaved and a few dried logs for resting place and eat special food in jelly form. Sometimes they eat a piece of fruit too. We don’t need to give water or anything, just make sure that the place is moist enough and in the right temperature
oh my goodness novita! your pet got soo big!!!
what a beautiful story! awwww…….
BTW~my son Alex says he likes Sidra’s spider man costume!! ~: ))
We bought it in Indonesia when he was 4 years old. It is too small now, and I had put it in my fabric stash. Sidra found it when he was playing in my sewing room and insisted on wearing it 😛
I am usually extremely squeamish around bugs & spiders! But every time I see a post about your son’s beetle larva, I can’t help but read on! I can’t believe how huge it is & I’ve never seen a pet like it before. It is very interesting
Thanks for sharing!
It is quite popular here in Japan, they even have special pet shops, magazines, and clubs for insects. This larva doesn’t move much, and when it does become a beetle, it is very calm. Spiders are too aggressive for me! 😛
there’s no way i don’t like it, I’m a biology graduate coz I’m pretty much amazed with nature in all forms:) I wonder if it’s male or female..and I read now the larval stade takes one or two yrs- how much longer i wonder:D can’t wait! at forst when I saw the pic, i admit, I thought it’s some wafer-chocolate dessert…
Haha now that you say it, it does a bit look like some yummy dessert in the first picture!
The shop assistant has said that it was probably male, but he wasn’t sure 😀
It is such an amazing creature, isn’t it?
That is so awesome! I can’t wait to see it metamorphosize (sp?). : )
I hope it will happen next summer!
You are so brave to hold it on your hand, I just feel it very scary (from your photos)
Don’t be scared, it doesn’t move much actually 😛
Wow, it’s really grown since you first got it!
It was just the size of my pinkie when we first got it! Such an interesting creature
I wish we could have a cute pet like yours!! My son and daughter would love it! I can’t wait till next year when it becomes a giant beetle!! Thanks for sharing your pictures!! ~: )