Giant Tree Lobsters were thought to be extinct until discovered on a remote island near Australia. And it’s not a hoax . . . like the Tree Octopus.
To read about their “romantic” come back and take a look at what they look like full-grown click here: Meet the Tree Lobster, back from the brink
Take a look at the birth! . . . meditative and remarkable!
Green when young, and about the size of an adult human’s hand when full-grown, Dryococelus australis is more commonly known as the Lord Howe Island stick insect, or the tree lobster.
Courtesy of Rohan Cleave/Melbourne Zoo
“The nymph that comes out of the egg is about three times the size of the egg itself,” says Paige Howorth, the San Diego Zoo’s curator of entomology. “It’s just folded up in there like an origami piece or something — it’s amazing.”
It has been claimed that the males and females snooze together, cuddled up in pairs, with the male wrapping his six legs protectively around the female. But Howorth says assuming that the sleep position connotes affection would be premature.
“I don’t know if it means he loves her,” she says, laughing. “I’m not willing to say that.”
CURIOUS to the MAX 
The tree octopus is the go-to site for teachers when convincing students not to believe everything they read. Now I can add the ‘tree lobster’–as a different sort of lesson.
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Jacqui,
YOU are the one who introduced me to the tree octopus (you got credit on the post) so I’m delighted to introduce you to the tree lobster! Makes me wonder just how many other critters live in the trees . . .
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Thanks for reminding me about these critters. I still need to visit Lord Howe Island.
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Leggy P.,
Don’t forget to bring your camera!!! and Poor John too . . .
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They brought 300 eggs of a foreign insect into California, America’s center for agriculture? This could never go wrong. Or could it?
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Sharon,
300 eggs . . . they hatch very slowly. The baby in the video took 6 minutes . . . 300 x 6 minutes = 1800 minutes (the scientists should be able to catch them before they got out of control . . . right?!!!!)
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Just perfect for Valentine’s Day, Judy. Giant bugs spooning and making more giant bugs. I couldn’t be – what’s the word I want, no it isn’t happier, oh there it is – more frightened.
Tell you what, you can have my share of the tree’s bug population. I’ll even bring you more butter to relieve me of these things should they show up in my eucalyptus.
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Shari B-P,
Yes! PERFECT for valentines day – remembering that even bugs deserve love. Thanks for the offer for your share. You are truly a generous friend. (hold the butter, however, too much cholesterol with my protein)
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Forget it – I’m going for chocolate – it’s Valentine’s Day, after all.
Did I ever tell you about the apartment I shared with friends when in college? (Read, broke, broke, broke, accepting whatever drecky place we could afford.) If we wanted to use the oven, we had to turn it on for about a half hour before putting in our culinary wonder – in order to roast the cockroaches that lived there. Needless to say, I never cooked in the place – and I hate bugs! Yech!
But I still love you, Judy. 😀
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Shari B-P,
Chocolate is good but you need protein and bugs are “full of it” (which obviously, you are not . . . )
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Oh, I’m full of it.
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