Walking Sticks in the Temperate Deciduous Forest
- Walkingsticks look just like the name implies. They have long, thin, segmented bodies that resemble small twigs and can measure almost 6 inches in length. They have long, spindly, inconspicuous legs that, if lost, will regrow. The nymphs begin green and turn brown as they age. They blend in so well with the tree branches they inhabit that hikers can easily pass them by without noticing them.
- Walkingsticks use camouflage for protection from predators, not to fool potential prey themselves. They spend much of the day, motionless upon a tree branch. When night falls, they come to life, moving on the tree to feed on its leaves.
- Although walkingsticks tend to move slowly, males pick up the pace when in pursuit of females. Females drop their eggs into the leaf litter below trees, where they may lie for two years while waiting to hatch. Females also use pathogenesis for reproduction: laying eggs unfertilized by a male.