“The more you watch, the more mysterious the natural world becomes, and the more you realize how little you know.”
— Michael Crichton, American Author/filmmaker (1942-2008)
“Daddy asked me if I wanted an insect collecting set…I said I did not. I like having them in my hands…then letting them go.”
— Fiona Mozley, British novelist and Medievalist
There on the cedar lapboard siding a walking stick insect ambled slowly on its way. It was a wonder I could see him at all as he blended in perfectly with the wall of the house. This insect has no wings so his only means of location was to take his time crossing the wall. A few steps, then he rested. Walking sticks can be three inches long or up to 12 inches. Most that I’ve seen were like this three-inch one. Their width is not much more than a toothpick. At first, I thought maybe the little fellow was hunting other insects below the outdoor lantern but walking sticks are herbivores so there was little for him to eat on the side of the wall. However, most walking sticks do prefer to eat at night. Typically, sticks hide on the side of a tree while navigating toward its leaves. Their favorites are rose bushes, fruit trees, oak leaves, weeds, and vines. They are not dangerous for crops as there are not that many of them. Also, each species of walking stick seems to attach to a particular plant.
Walking sticks are pretty low on the food chain. They’re eaten by birds, rodents, reptiles, spiders, other insects and squashed or thumped by the occasional human. They have a couple of tricks up their sleeve like vibrating a bit to look like a fluttering leaf, or being perfectly still clinging tightly to the bark of the tree. Occasionally if the predator pecks at the walking stick, it will let go and fall to the ground as if it were a stick.
It’s said that walking sticks make interesting pets with very little fuss. Just a clean container, some leaves of choice, and a small amount of water. They will not drink out of a water bowl but should be misted daily. An aquarium or a terrarium kept damp and humid will provide a nice, safe, comfortable home for the walking stick.
There are companies on the internet that sell walking sticks but you must search the website well. Some companies only ship to educational institutions and etymologists for study. Some walking sticks are dried and delivered for art projects and insect collections mounted in shadow boxes. Some are not shipped to the United States. It would be terribly disappointing to expect a pet and find it had already completed its full life cycle.
Should you have the good fortune of finding a native walking stick in your yard or elsewhere, the walking stick can be an excellent pet for small children as they learn the value of nature and how we should take care of certain harmless and helpful creatures that are living on the planet alongside of us humans.
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
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