What is that thing?

Hey whats that black thing hanging out of the resr end of the crickets. is it a reproductive thing.

I may be mistaken.. but from my research a while back ... Only the females have that.. and when it sticks way out that means they are ready to lay eggs. So the the answer to your question I imagine would be yes... that is a reproductive thing...

But maybe an entomolgist will chime in and put my foot in my mouth for me.

the experts can chime in on this but, i believe only males have them. and it is what they use to "chirp". they rub their back legs against this black stick in their booty to annoy us. i make this assumption because they only chirp once they start growing these and i see them doin it while they chirp. kinda like a spiny lobster rubs his antenneas on their head to make a grunting sound.

Josh,

I'm not sure about this, as I tested it out. I HATE CHIRPPING CRICKETS... Which is why I started trying to figure out how to get them quite. Someone told me "Take off their back legs and they cant chirp.." Well I did that that... And they all still chirpped... So I closely observed a lil chirper... and it is their wings they flutter together to generate the chirp.. Now when I stick them in... I take off their back wings ... and I get no chirpping.

Edit: But I am no Entomolgist so I could be mistaken... Just my amature observation.

The long black thing coming out of the cricket is what the female uses to lay her eggs. The males do not have this.

thats what i thought and read various times its females only what they use to lay in soil etc. Males churp with that wing stuff on their back i think :S

The rod sticking out of her butt is indeed what she uses to lay her eggs beneath the soil. Crickets chirp by rubbing their wings together. Only adult crickets can chirp when the wings grow in. I promise this info to be true.

SoCaliSon said:

Josh,

I'm not sure about this, as I tested it out. I HATE CHIRPPING CRICKETS... Which is why I started trying to figure out how to get them quite. Someone told me "Take off their back legs and they cant chirp.." Well I did that that... And they all still chirpped... So I closely observed a lil chirper... and it is their wings they flutter together to generate the chirp.. Now when I stick them in... I take off their back wings ... and I get no chirpping.

Edit: But I am no Entomolgist so I could be mistaken... Just my amature observation.

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How exactly do you pull the wings off? tweezers? Those thing drive me nuts too...and i bet if i made them chirpless i would get atleast 4 hours more of sleep !

How exactly do you pull the wings off? tweezers?

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I use Chop sticks while blindfolded....


When I feed crix each Cham gets a cup of 8 crix every other. I get 8 crix in a cup... then just use my hands (washed and sanitized) and grab them by the leg(or wherever) and a gentle pinch on the back of their abdomen normally gets me most of their wings and I just rip them off (carefull it is easy to ripthem in half). Takes about a min to get all 8 per cup... P.I.T.A.!!!! I recommend just using Dubias if your chams will eat them... Crickets are nothing but Hopping Chirpping Spawns of Satan! Not to mention roaches are easier to gutload and a lot more nutritious.

SOMEDAY they will develop a genetic mutant cricket that cant chirp...... Maybe not soon but the company that does is gonna rake it in. They've genetically altered fruit flys, why not crickets?

Nicodemayo said:

SOMEDAY they will develop a genetic mutant cricket that cant chirp...... Maybe not soon but the company that does is gonna rake it in. They've genetically altered fruit flys, why not crickets?

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Hmmmm? Maybe I will try to breed a colony I have ripped the wings off of!

i hate crickets, lil bastards, im glad im switching to worms.

personally i find the chirping soothing (like white noise) but if you don't like the sound or the smell keep the crix in the garage

I have a hard enough time getting my girlfriend to let me have a housing unit of crikets let alone roaches >.<

Can we ask that they make them so they don't smell as much either? And i agree 100% with you Socalison.

Debby