Camel Cricket Updates!

I have updates for both my Ceuthophilus species, let's start out with my C.agassizii. My colony is doing quite well, most of the offspring produced from my WC adults are adults now themselves, and have already started mating and laying eggs, so the next generation isn't too far off! 😄

Here are some pictures I took of them recently, most of the eggcrate pieces in their enclosure are packed with individuals!

I've noticed that there seem to be a lot less cannibalism in this colony compared to last time I kept them, I think because I'm feeding them far more consistently and more often than I used to, either that or this new strain is just easier for some reason.

---

Now onto my Ceuthophilus gracilipes gracilipes. My nymphs are all growing very well, and a few appear to be subadults now! 😁 They're so big already, really looking forward to seeing some healthy adults in person! 

Here are some pictures of a somewhat recently matured subadult female, (hence her skinny abdomen):

Really hoping this species breeds well for me, will be nice to help get these established in culture here in the US, (though TBH I don't know of that many people interested in culturing these, even though they're the biggest US native camel cricket).

---

Lastly, here's a comparison between that same subadult female Ceuthophilus gracilipes gracilipes, and an adult female Ceuthophilus agassizii! 

As you can see, the size difference between the two is already crazy, and that gracilipes female STILL has another molt to go before maturity, so she'll put on even more size! 😄 

Crazy how these two are in the same genus, and it's interesting how they differ in morphology, especially when it comes to their legs. C.agassizii are ground dwellers and have shorter, more robust looking legs, whereas C.g.gracilipes are arboreal and usually found on tree trunks in the wild, and have much longer, lankier legs which better suit that life style. And coloration wise, the patterning of gracilipes is good for blending in with the bark they typically rest on, whereas the coloration of agassizii helps them blend in with the pale dirt and and dried grass in the scrubland habitat I normally find them in.

Anyways, that's gonna do it for this post, thanks for reading everyone, hope you enjoyed, stay safe, and I'll see you all next time! 😉