What the heck just happened?

[Stefan9881]

Hey,

So I just came back from the supermarket and noticed that one of the crickets I left in my chams cage has "given birth"? A small pink cricket is barely still in the adult cricket. During my 6 years of reptile keeping, ive never seen a cricket do that an as far as I know, they dont have shells which they can change nor do they give birth.
Does anyone know what just happened?

Thanks

 

[little leaf]

are you sure the cricket is not molting ? once I have also seen a pin worm come out of a cricket I stepped on in the side walk - maybe a parasite ? can you post a pic ??

 

[Julija]

Actually, crickets do have a hard exoskeleton, that they do shed once in a while Out comes a white (or pinkish) to begin with, soft-shelled cricket. After some time the exoskeleton hardens up and darkens in colour. They tend to hide right after mold, I guess because they are rather helpless and unprotected being light and soft. Also, as far as I know, crickets sometimes eat their own sheds, which might explain why you have not seen this happen before

 

[Stefan9881]

Actually, crickets do have a hard exoskeleton, that they do shed once in a while Out comes a white (or pinkish) to begin with, soft-shelled cricket. After some time the exoskeleton hardens up and darkens in colour. They tend to hide right after mold, I guess because they are rather helpless and unprotected being light and soft. Also, as far as I know, crickets sometimes eat their own sheds, which might explain why you have not seen this happen before

Yes, thanks! This explains pretty much everything, I saw it eat its own shed and after some while it turned brown again