Mossy Stick Insect - Taraxippus samarae - Butterfly Plants

The masters of camouflage! 
These incredible stick insects are amazingly textured and patterned to camouflage against moss and tree fern trunks.
First being discovered in 2018, they perfectly blend into the mossy, humid, cloud forests of Costa Rica and Panama. They are a very calm species, slow growing, and long lived. 
Coming from high up in the mountains they're very tolerant of colder temperatures and variable humidity levels. Meaning you don't need any specialist equipment to keep them happy, which make them a perfect beginners species, or anyone interested in macro photography!


Care requirements:
Temperature: 15-26 degrees (I tend to let the temperatures drop slightly over night)
Humidity: 70%-100%
Food: Brambles, Rose, Ferns and even Moss! (I tend to give them a combination of brambles and fern)
Size: 5-8cm
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Breeding: I've found them to be very slow to reproduce, females only lay an egg every 3 or 4 days. I leave the eggs in the enclosure which hatch in 7-9 months time. The nymphs emerge strong and love eating ferns.
How I keep them:
I use a bio-actively set up 45cm x 45cm x 60cm tall glass enclosure with a heat mat placed on the side. I place a layer of moss on the floor which both helps maintain humidity and provides perfect conditions for the eggs to incubate. I cover half of the roof ventilation to provide higher humidity and mist them once a day.