Walkingstick
The walkingstick, lives in deciduous trees in North America.
Due to its shape it is called many other names, among them prairie alligator.
Usually occurring in the easterly half of the United States it has been seen in every state east of the plains and many in Canada.
Walkingstick
Recently it has also been seen and identified in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona.
The little walkingstick begins life as a nymph, and eats plants like hazel, blueberry, strawberry as well as roses and blackberries.
The older walkingstick will instead eat oak, basswood, and wild cherry trees.
The adult walkingstick is about 3 inches long, and the female is much larger than the male.
They are wingless and very slender in body build, with long and very thin antennae.
Walkingsticks may be any color ranging from brown to green to greenish tan, as well as some which are multicolored and included shades of tan, green, and red.
They are shaped much like a twig, and in many cases while hunting will remain completely without motion, and are camouflaged very well on the trees in which they live.
The female walkingstick will deposit her eggs on the tree branches. They are had and very shiny black or brown with a band of green or tan on one side of them.
One end has a cap from which the baby walking stick will emerge.
Walkingstick
The newly hatched baby will be almost an exact replica of the adult, except for its color which is a very pale green, and of course the size which is about a third of an inch in length.
walkingsticks eat the foliage of the trees which they call home.
Many people are unhappy about their presence in the area due to the fact that they will eat the leaves of fruit trees and shrubs, and may cause some damage to crops.
Walkingstick outbreaks do happen, and in some cases they do a great deal of damage however it is usually very local in nature.
The walkingstick can not fly, therefore although walkingstick outbreaks are common they very rarely go more than a few hundred yards.
Fascinating to watch, the walkingstick can indeed sit still for so long that you will find it difficult to spot him on the tree in front of you, assuming him to be part of the tree itself.
Find out more about the Walkingstick over at Wikipedia »
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I was in California at my aunts house from April 15 to May 30 of 2009 and one morning when I came downstairs there was a walking stick on the screen door. It stayed there all day and night. Just thought I would mention it as you said it was only seen in the east. I was very surprised when I saw it as it was the first one I had ever seen in CA. I lived Ohio and east to the coast as a child growing up and saw many walking sticks growing up.
To be honest i have one in a glass tank like a pet they’re incredibly amazing. When i was a young girl i used to see them alot in the back yard OF my house in New York.