Welcome to the wonderful world of leaf insects!

Leaf insects are a group of tropical insects whose main defence against predators is that they look like leaves. Indeed their camoflage is so realistic that at least one zoo has actually taken them off display over the years because so many visitors believed the cage was empty.

Indeed, not only do leaf insects closely resemble leaves but they are also nocturnal so they are unlikely to move during the day unless disturbed. When leaf insects do move, they are even more cryptic in that they walk in a most unnatural way so as to look like a leaf blowing in the wind which means they can keep up their disguise even when moving.

 

Hailing from the jungles of south east Asia, leaf insects make a great alternative to stick insects though generally speaking the care is rather similar. However one does normally find that leaf insects are a little more fragile and require rather more careful captive care than the average Indian stick insect.

Leaf insects make fascinating pets that captivate with their ability to resemble a leaf so accurately and once you have their cage set up correctly they are reasonably simple pets to keep. They make no noise and only require feeding and cleaning once or twice a week so take minimal time too.

In short, if you are looking for a pet that is a little different, yet is reasonably easy to look after and requires minimal time and effort then you would be well to consider a pet leaf insect.