Contents
General questions
Are they really cockroaches?
Where did they come from?
How and why do they hiss?
What do they look like?
What are they used for?
As pets
Do they make good pets?
Do they bite?
How do you handle them?
What do they feel like?
How can I tell the difference between the genders?
How do I care for them?
I've heard they get mites. What's the deal with that?
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Questions and Answers
Are they really cockroaches?
Where did they come from?
How and why do they hiss?
What do they look like?
What are they used for?
Do they make good pets?
Do they bite?
How do you handle them?
What do they feel like?
How can I tell the difference between the genders?
How do I care for them?
I've heard they get mites. What's the deal with that?
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Links and webrings
Go to a special Giant Hissing Cockroach Christmas story! http://www.tiac.net/users/jbutler/sara/silentn.html
Go to a news article from MetroLife! http://www.detnews.com/1997/metlife/9706/16/06160059.htm
Yes, they are members of the cockroach family. They have been called Madagascan Hissing Beetles to get rid of the negative impressions generated by the word "cockroach." Some differences between common cockroaches and Giant Hissing Cockroaches include: wingless, sanitary, odorless, clean, and slow. Some similarities include: nocturnal and hardy.
They originated in Madagascar (an island country off the southeast coast of Africa). There, they probably lived on the forest floor in rotting logs and fed on falling fruit.
They hiss by forcibly expelling air through breathing pores. The males, females, and older babies produce the most common hiss, which is the disturbance hiss. The males also hiss during courtship and aggressive encounters.
Generally, they are 2-3 inches long and 1 inch wide when full grown.
An adult male
An adult female
Pets (see next question), observational purposes, zoo exhibits, science projects, classroom pets, laboratory research, and lizard food.
Yes, excellent. They are pretty hardy and won't die quickly without food, so they make an ideal child's pet. They are considered true pets, because they are docile and pose no kind of threat to children. They are also slow moving and easy to handle.
Absolutely not! They actually do their best to hide when disturbed.
The best way to pick them up is with a scooping motion from underneath so their claws 
(enlarged picture of roach foot) don't get caught in whatever they're on. As for holding them, most owners allow them to crawl on their arms and hands.
Their bodies are smooth, slick feeling, and either cool or warm (they are cold-blooded, so their body temperature depends on their environment temperature). When they crawl on you it can best be described as tingly and prickly, but more like a tickle than pain.
There are a few ways. One is that males have two raised "horns" on their prothorax, while females have only slight bumps 
(female is pictured on the top picture, male on the bottom). Males have hairy antennae, while females' antennae are smooth. Males tend to be more elongated than females. While they are babies, however, the best way is to look at their ventral plate. The ventral plate is a plate on the underside of the end of their abdomen. In males, the ventral plate is narrower than in the females. 
Male ventral plate. 
Female ventral plate.
There are two possible enclosures you can keep them in. One is an aquarium with either a screened top or Vaseline around the top inside. With the Vaseline, you don't need a top, although I recommend one for your sanity! With the screen, you may have to brush some cockroaches off the underside of the screen every time you open it. The other enclosure is a sealed shut shoebox with holes punched in the top, but this will not work well for observation. They like the daytime temperature to be around 88-96 degrees (Fahrenheit), and no lower than 68 degrees at night. A convenient heating method is to keep their enclosure on or next to a cable TV box or other non-moving electrical appliance. Although, they will live in cooler climates, they tend to be less active, grow more slowly, and need more food. They eat crushed dog, mouse, or chick food, supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. A damp sponge will provide them with the water they need. Cage cleaning is as simple as removing all cage objects and roaches, then shaking out spoiled food and their dried feces. Cage cleaning should be done about every month, and food should be changed about every other day.
They do not effect humans or other animals, but yes, they do get a form of mites. If you use a substrate (a ground covering, like wood shavings) and don't change it often, you can get mites. They will suck your cockroach dry, but are easy to treat. Shaking the cockroaches in a bag of flour is one way, although this must be repeated often.
