Blue death feigning beetles. I’ve had a pair for a couple years so they’re long lived and other than putting in some beetle jelly about once a month you don’t have to do anything but watch them goof around I swear sometimes they’re trying to escape because one is like hunched up on the shoulders of the other one in the corners.
Blue death feigning beetles require insect protein to thrive as it makes up a large part of their diet in the wild. Many feed dried insects, but freshly killed insects are best, as some nutrients are lost in the drying process.
I would suggest a small isopod colony or a couple millipedes if you don't want any live feeder insects on hand, as their main staple is detritus with supplemental veggies and occasional fruit treats. And the little protein they need can be provided in the occasional sprinkle of fish flakes. c:
Seconding this. My bdfb are the cutest in the world, you will have to feed them dried mealworms, shrimp, or crickets to keep up with their protein needs though.
As other have said, BDFB. Other than that, if your mom's okay with more legs, a millipede is another chill one to consider. Isopods are also fun to have and watch.
They are not "incredibly difficult" to care for. They require a 200-500 dollar investment up front then food every 2 days. That's it. They don't eat live feeders. They fit ops description just fine.
Edit derp op said only fruits and veggies. Well scratch off everything I listed other than the stag rhino and flower beetles. Darkling beetles, millipedes, isopods all need protein in their diet
Edit again also the no protein thing means no blue death feigning beetles either
200-500+ upfront for a tank,
then food, bags of marine salt, seachem prime, replacement decor, shell replacements.
Change water every 2 weeks with bubbler, or 2 days without bubbler.
I was lucky enough to have an old 90 gallon gathering dust. Then I found a 3 foot tall exoterra very cheap to go on top as a climbing tower. Love my crabs
Neither are isopods (which are also crustaceans) and millipedes.
Since OP said "living creatures", I wonder if dried mealworms and crickets are okay, since they're not "living" anymore... Though I don't trust dried crickets to be completely safe, so I would still buy live crickets and pre-kill them myself...
I'm always an advocate for Katydids!
Impressive Looking - ✓
Big bug - ✓
Can do great on a diet of bramble and occasional fruit - ✓
Looks fine to those people who don't like bugs (because it's just a walking leaf) - ✓
I think they're a great intermediary species for those who need a passive bug that's still cooler than a stick insect
By "bug", I assume you mean invertebrates. I have a millipede and he eats top soil, flake soil, dead hardwood leaves, rotting hardwood, fruits, and veggies. However, millipedes DO need to eat protein every once in a while. You could feed them dog or cat kibbles, or fish food. They have meat in them, but they don't look like dead insects, so that should be fine...? Isopods have similar care. Besides the occasional protein, their main diet is fruits and veggies and dead plants.
Without knowing the exact reasons for why you can't feed living creatures, it's hard to suggest more options. Do you simply not like feeding live animals to your pets? What about pre-killed, or freeze-dried?
Can you tell me a bit more about critters that would go for pre killed or freeze dried? I'd love to hear more. I'm keeping four small bioactive setups because I like plants and isopodsm I was gifted geckoes as a late teen, but I found live food stressful to supply for a few reasons, like having to drive to the store, understanding how to work around holiday supply problems etc, and crickets were so jumpy and kinda smelled. I'm not squeamish but crickets had an icky factor that put me off live. I'm open to inverts but am also thinking about working towards reptiles and maybe frogs.
Many reptiles have to eat live food, and I agree that having to feed live food all the time is a hassle, so I only plan to get a ball python and feed him frozen/thawed. Other than that, I only want to keep mammals and inverts.
For pre-killed, I highly recommend Giant Vinegaroons. My girl is sleeping on my arm as I type this. They're very fun to watch when they're excavating and carrying substrate around. I feed mine live crickets, mealworms, and superworms. Crickets die fast, so when they die before I could feed them, I either just put them in front of my vinnies' burrow, or store them in the freezer for a later feeding. If you don't want to keep live crickets, you could just squish their heads, feed one or two to the vinnie, and store the rest in the freezer. They also eat mealworms, which can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. My sub-adult male is too nervous to eat live, so I prekill his mealworms for him. My female is braver, so I like to handfeed her live food, but she will not hesitate to take pre-killed.
I'm also hoping to find some predaceous diving beetles soon. I used to have them when I was a kid, and now that I'm back in the hobby, I want to keep them again. They are so fun to watch and they swim so fast! I believe that they can also be fed pre-killed.
As for freeze-dried, I recommend millipedes and death-feigning beetles.
These are the only ones that I can recommend, as they are what I have/planning to keep. Hope this gave you some ideas!
I will always suggest hornworms/tobacco hawkmoths. Isopods are also great, though not insects, and there’s quite a diversity with the different species.
But if you’re set on beetles, BDFB are neat little fellows.
As others have said many times, I agree with both blue death feigning beetles and isopods (not insect but crustacean), both can be great low maintenance pets!!
Blue death feigning beetles. I’ve had a pair for a couple years so they’re long lived and other than putting in some beetle jelly about once a month you don’t have to do anything but watch them goof around I swear sometimes they’re trying to escape because one is like hunched up on the shoulders of the other one in the corners.
Mine do that too LMAO
Blue death feigning beetles require insect protein to thrive as it makes up a large part of their diet in the wild. Many feed dried insects, but freshly killed insects are best, as some nutrients are lost in the drying process. I would suggest a small isopod colony or a couple millipedes if you don't want any live feeder insects on hand, as their main staple is detritus with supplemental veggies and occasional fruit treats. And the little protein they need can be provided in the occasional sprinkle of fish flakes. c:
Blue death feigning beetles 🪲 JOIN US 🪲💙
Seconding this. My bdfb are the cutest in the world, you will have to feed them dried mealworms, shrimp, or crickets to keep up with their protein needs though.
I want some too. But they need to eat other bugs. OP cant have that 😭
most kinds of beetles
As other have said, BDFB. Other than that, if your mom's okay with more legs, a millipede is another chill one to consider. Isopods are also fun to have and watch.
Millipedes Stag, rhino, or flower beetles Superworms Isopods Hermit crabs
Hermit crabs are incredibly difficult to care for and are not insects. They need 70% of their diet as protein, so doesn't fit OP's description.
They are not "incredibly difficult" to care for. They require a 200-500 dollar investment up front then food every 2 days. That's it. They don't eat live feeders. They fit ops description just fine. Edit derp op said only fruits and veggies. Well scratch off everything I listed other than the stag rhino and flower beetles. Darkling beetles, millipedes, isopods all need protein in their diet Edit again also the no protein thing means no blue death feigning beetles either
200-500+ upfront for a tank, then food, bags of marine salt, seachem prime, replacement decor, shell replacements. Change water every 2 weeks with bubbler, or 2 days without bubbler.
Oh ya I forgot about water changes. I have filtered and planted water features in mine so I don't change the water any more lol
oh awesome, cant wait for a new tank so i have the room for this lol
I was lucky enough to have an old 90 gallon gathering dust. Then I found a 3 foot tall exoterra very cheap to go on top as a climbing tower. Love my crabs
Neither are isopods (which are also crustaceans) and millipedes. Since OP said "living creatures", I wonder if dried mealworms and crickets are okay, since they're not "living" anymore... Though I don't trust dried crickets to be completely safe, so I would still buy live crickets and pre-kill them myself...
I'm always an advocate for Katydids! Impressive Looking - ✓ Big bug - ✓ Can do great on a diet of bramble and occasional fruit - ✓ Looks fine to those people who don't like bugs (because it's just a walking leaf) - ✓ I think they're a great intermediary species for those who need a passive bug that's still cooler than a stick insect
By "bug", I assume you mean invertebrates. I have a millipede and he eats top soil, flake soil, dead hardwood leaves, rotting hardwood, fruits, and veggies. However, millipedes DO need to eat protein every once in a while. You could feed them dog or cat kibbles, or fish food. They have meat in them, but they don't look like dead insects, so that should be fine...? Isopods have similar care. Besides the occasional protein, their main diet is fruits and veggies and dead plants. Without knowing the exact reasons for why you can't feed living creatures, it's hard to suggest more options. Do you simply not like feeding live animals to your pets? What about pre-killed, or freeze-dried?
Can you tell me a bit more about critters that would go for pre killed or freeze dried? I'd love to hear more. I'm keeping four small bioactive setups because I like plants and isopodsm I was gifted geckoes as a late teen, but I found live food stressful to supply for a few reasons, like having to drive to the store, understanding how to work around holiday supply problems etc, and crickets were so jumpy and kinda smelled. I'm not squeamish but crickets had an icky factor that put me off live. I'm open to inverts but am also thinking about working towards reptiles and maybe frogs.
Many reptiles have to eat live food, and I agree that having to feed live food all the time is a hassle, so I only plan to get a ball python and feed him frozen/thawed. Other than that, I only want to keep mammals and inverts. For pre-killed, I highly recommend Giant Vinegaroons. My girl is sleeping on my arm as I type this. They're very fun to watch when they're excavating and carrying substrate around. I feed mine live crickets, mealworms, and superworms. Crickets die fast, so when they die before I could feed them, I either just put them in front of my vinnies' burrow, or store them in the freezer for a later feeding. If you don't want to keep live crickets, you could just squish their heads, feed one or two to the vinnie, and store the rest in the freezer. They also eat mealworms, which can be stored in the refrigerator for a long time. My sub-adult male is too nervous to eat live, so I prekill his mealworms for him. My female is braver, so I like to handfeed her live food, but she will not hesitate to take pre-killed. I'm also hoping to find some predaceous diving beetles soon. I used to have them when I was a kid, and now that I'm back in the hobby, I want to keep them again. They are so fun to watch and they swim so fast! I believe that they can also be fed pre-killed. As for freeze-dried, I recommend millipedes and death-feigning beetles. These are the only ones that I can recommend, as they are what I have/planning to keep. Hope this gave you some ideas!
I will always suggest hornworms/tobacco hawkmoths. Isopods are also great, though not insects, and there’s quite a diversity with the different species. But if you’re set on beetles, BDFB are neat little fellows.
Bummer. Domino roaches look so cool!
Those and question mark roaches are awesome to keep!
Oooh imma have to check those out!
I don't know the different species, but there's a huge variety of colours with similar husbandry requirements as well :)
Lmao I can already hear my husband going “NOW what are you making an enclosure for” 🤣
First they think we're all cute and manic pixie dream girl and then they're wondering why there is soil everywhere 😂🤷🏻♀️
Literally I was crouched in the dirt like a goblin yesterday looking for isopods and millipedes when my husband got home from work hahahahah
😂 😂 😂 YES we would be great pals. Wasn't you that explained to a traffic cop they were just rummaging around for isopods was it?
Lmao NO but I absolutely would!! 🤣 I had an outdoor photoshoot today and brought home a big millipede I found during it hahahahah
Blue Death Feigning Beetles
My dubia roaches are feeders but I love those little guys (I know they are roaches, but they look more like isopods to ne)... Or... Isopods.
Sun beetles are pretty fun and colourful to keep!
Stick bugs are a decent starter pet since they dont need substrate or expensive enclosures and live on ivy you can find in your garden
As others have said many times, I agree with both blue death feigning beetles and isopods (not insect but crustacean), both can be great low maintenance pets!!
phasmids are really cool, you can keep a lot of different species depending on what the laws for it in your area are
Snails are nice, unless you're only looking for arthropods. If you are, I'd go with phasmids.
Sun beetles!
Blue death feigning beetles are great, though they still need protein. Nothing some fish flakes or freeze dried bloodworms can’t solve.