Introduction
The Madagascar hissing cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa, is native only to the island of Madagascar and is one of the largest cockroaches on the planet. Unlike their infamous cousins, they do not infest human dwellings and tend to eat leaves and fruits on the forest floor. Their docile nature and large size make them ideal beginner pets. They can grow to about 2-4 inches long and weigh up to 7/8 oz. When disturbed, they can release air from their spiracle (used to breathing) located on their abdomen, creating a hissing sound. With proper care, they can live 2 - 5 years.
Sexing
There are two ways to determine the sex of your hissing roach. Males have large horn-like bumps on their heads while females’ are either very small or nonexistent. When housed together, the males will often bump each other with these “horns” to fight over territory and females. The other method would be to look at the last section of their abdomen. If you look at the underside of their abdomen, you will see that their abdomen is made of several sections. For male hissing roaches, the last section ends in a tapered point and is very narrow (<1/4 inch crosswise). In contrast, the last section of the female hissing roaches is much larger and round (~1/2 inch crosswise).
photo credit:u/garythecoconut
Housing
The hissing roaches’ home should contain three important elements: hiding spot, humidity, and substrate.
Madagascar hissing cockroaches do not need a lot of space to live in. They tend to stay in one general area (a favorite bark or piece of wood) and only come out to look for food. A glass or plastic terrarium between 2 to 5 gallons would suffice. It is important to place a lid on the terrarium because they are very good climbers. The terrarium should contain plenty of hiding spots, such as cork bark or a piece of driftwood. The bottom of the terrarium should also be filled with moist coco fibers or eco-earth mixed with sphagnum moss to maintain humidity (60% is ideal). Do not use the soil you find outside as these often contain a pesticide that will kill your hissers. To maintain humidity, you may need to spray the terrarium a few times a day with clean filtered water.
Lighting and Temperature
Being phototactic, they do not need any light. However, they thrive best in a warm environment (ideal temperature: 80-90 F). You may want to place a small heat lamp or an under-tank heat mat to achieve the desired temperature range. You can use any household incandescent bulb or any reptile heat bulbs of lower wattage.
Diet
Hissing roaches prefer fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. Feed them only enough so that they can finish the meal in one to two days. This way, the food will not get moldy and will not attract fruit flies. Adjust the feeding frequency depending on their appetite. All fresh produce (including organic) should be thoroughly washed to remove any pesticide. If you feed them fresh produce, you do not need to give them extra water. You may feed the occasional dog or cat food as a protein supplement, out of all dry foods, rat food pellet is the best choice. Give watery vegetables (like romaine lettuce) along with dry food.
Examples of readily accepted food:
Vegetables: romaine lettuce, collard green, carrot, potato (peeled)
Fruits: apple, ripe banana, pear, orange
Grains: wheat germs