2/28/2022: Tafalisca all grown up
It seems like only yesterday I received a healthy sampling of Florida invertebrates from Kai and Alan, and now some of the little lads and lasses they collected are all grown up.
I took out these Tafalisca eleuthera adults expecting to coerce them into photogenic poses, but to my surprise they were very agreeable. I’d be hard pressed to recall another docile orthopteran, other than lubber grasshoppers. Their calmness made me reconsider this species as perhaps another good candidate for handleable, embassador-esque invertebrates.
The current group is 1.2, as I can’t find the beat up male (though he may be hiding in a substrate burrow). Other than that, my hopes for establishing a culture are high with previous experience under my belt and these well-acclimated captives. I hope this species becomes popular as a pet, as their coloration, size, morphology, and ease of care make them very appealing. Closing the captive breeding loop with confidence is all that remains.
-Kyle