TOP 5 INVERTEBRATES that you can HANDLE

Are you looking for a pet invertebrate that you can get hands-on with and maybe even chill out with on the couch? Well, today we are going to be going through the top five invertebrates that you can handle. Hi everyone, I'm Ellie from Ellie's Exotics and I actually used to be an animal educator. Now what this meant is I would go out and do shows and show off some animals and because I had that job it meant that I had lots of different types of animals, specifically invertebrates. So I have compiled this list of five invertebrates that I think make great pets for beginner invertebrate keepers and also ones that are handleable. They all have completely different care so what might work for you might not work for someone else but if any of the animals on this list piques your interest then do lots of research into them before you bring them home. So let's get right into the video. Let's start with number five, the Madagascan Hissing Cockroach. I know what you're thinking, why would anyone have those as a pet? I thought the same until I had them myself. Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches are amazing pets because they are very very sturdy animals. They have a really strong exoskeleton so if they were to fall from a height they wouldn't get injured like tarantula might do. Hissing cockroaches are very easy to handle. They can be fast but usually calm down very quickly and they will rarely bite. The most common thing that they do is spit water at you and that's about it. It's usually just about a drop of water that lands on your hand. Their diet is very easy to achieve and in fact cockroaches can eat things like poo, glue and even some types of plastic. But you shouldn't feed them things like that when you keep them as a pet. Feed them lots of different types of vegetables rotating each week so that they can get lots of good nutrients. When it comes to cockroaches the more space that you give them the bigger they can grow. Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches can actually grow to about the length of my hand. They can get really really big and they definitely make a cool interesting pet if you're looking for something that is low maintenance. Number four, Sungaean Stick Insects. I love stick insects. I think they make brilliant pets but some species don't live as long as others or they can be quite fragile. I think Sungaean Stick Insects are one of the best species that you can have because they get quite a bit bigger but not too big that their hooks will hurt your hands and they are sturdy enough to handle. Not as sturdy as the cockroach I would say. They are a little bit more fragile but as long as you're gentle they'll be absolutely fine. Their diet consists of things like bramble so you have to make sure that before you bring your stick insects home that your bramble or rosebush or whatever leaves you choose to use is safe for them first of all and also isn't sprayed with pesticides because that's one of the issues that I was having that's why I couldn't keep them anymore because the bramble in my area was sprayed down and it caused my stick insects to unfortunately pass away. So make sure that pesticide-free leaves are something that you can provide for your stick insects to keep them nice and healthy. Another great thing about stick insects is rather than a long enclosure you need a tall enclosure. So I kept mine in a 30 by 30 by 45 tall but obviously you can keep them in a bigger enclosure if you choose to do that but just give them lots of vertical height. If you don't have a lot of horizontal space in your house then these make a perfect pet. Number three, giant African land snails. I kept my giant African land snails after I stopped doing educational shows because they are such fun interesting pets. I love them. The main thing that I like about these guys compared to the other inverts listed is that they live quite a bit longer. Giant African land snails can live up to 10 years and they can grow to a really decent size. I have rescued giant African land snails the size of my head. He was literally this big. Their diet is still easy but it's something that needs to be researched a lot more compared to something like a cockroach. Because the snail is growing that big shell of theirs they need quite a wide range of food within their diet so that they don't get poorly or so that they don't have any deformities in their shell. They need a lot of calcium and you need to avoid foods like cucumber or lettuce as it's mainly made of water. They also need a lot of protein in their diet too and if you would like to learn more about giant African land snail care and their diet I have a video on my page about how exactly to take care of them and everything that you would need for one. Number two, giant African millipedes. I miss my millipedes so much. Millipedes are brilliant pets especially the giant kind. When we talk about handling they are probably the best to handle. They are slow moving, they're not slimy like the snail and the way that their legs feel is very therapeutic. When I would get home after a stressful day I would just hold my millipedes for a while and it would calm me right down. Their diet is definitely the easiest thing to achieve on this list as their diet is mostly rotting wood and decaying leaves or leaf litter. Missing them once or twice a day depending on your humidity in your house is what keeps them nice and healthy and they also need to live in pairs. For whatever reason millipedes tend to be quite social which I think is absolutely adorable. Millipedes are great. The only thing I would look out for when it comes to giant African millipedes is majority of them are wild caught so if you want yours to live its full lifespan of up to seven years then try and find a reputable breeder that is breeding them in captivity. And number one, jumping spiders. If you have watched my videos before you will know I love jumping spiders. I currently have two, they are called tapioca and boba and they are my Phiphidus regius regal jumping spiders. I adore them. The thing that I like most with jumping spiders has to be their personality. When you walk in a room they will turn around and look at you. Tapioca will sit on the door of her enclosure waiting to come out so they definitely can be a handleable animal. I will say though out of every animal on this list they can be a little bit trickier to handle especially when they're babies but I will say after a while it gets easier taking them out to sit with them, hang out with them and appreciate their adorable faces. Out of all the animals, two jumping spiders take up the least amount of room. I keep mine in eight inch cubes but the minimum is five inch by five inch by eight inch tall. They are fed live prey so they're fed different types of insects and worms and if that's something that's putting you off, honestly you get used to it so quickly. When I first had to feed live insects, when I got my first ever reptile, I was stressed. I was so stressed and now I will literally grab a handful with my bare hands and I don't even care. They are definitely the most entertaining animal to feed on this list. Watching them hunt and calculate their next move is just adorable. Everything about jumping spiders is cute. I highly recommend them. If you're interested in getting a jumping spider, I have plenty of videos about them on my page like setting up their enclosures or even comparing them to tarantulas if you are thinking about getting a tarantula instead of a jumping spider. So go check those out and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day. See you all later. Bye-bye.