As giant insects go, I think they look pretty benign - they’re just big stick insects. I think the Giant Weta (which has a similar survival story) looks a bit more menacing and scary than these guys - as indeed do many of the larger crickets.
The term ‘tree lobster’ just makes me hungry.
The problem, of course, is that the cats would just LOVE to play with the Tree Lobsters. To death.
We used to have a small spaniel who, while a great dog had an odd list of phobias (including but not limited to ceiling fans, balloons and non-human primates). We created a fantasy “Fargo Gaslight Room” to accomodate all of the animals and objects that would’ve driven her into a drooling state of shock.
A few Giant Tree Lobsters crawling around will definitely be part of the exhibit.
From the article:
That’s all sweet and dandy, but if we want more baby bugs, we’ve got to get these critters to do less spoonin’ and snoozin’ and more bumpin’ uglies. It’s hard to get aroused when your paramour looks as hideous as these guys, so the scientists need to develop sexy bug makeup, wigs, erection enhancers, bug-booze…what ever it takes to get them doing the ol’ in 'n out.
As with the sad tale of the Stephens Island Wren.
She’s pretty darn yummy!
Thank you for this link. Cats are the worst, and I don’t think people realize how much havoc they can wreak on an ecosystem. 
The bugs are kind of cute, though. I’m glad to hear they are making a comeback.
There’s a wonderful animated short film about the near-extinction and rediscovery of the Lord Howe Island phasmid Dryococelus australis: Sticky.
I’m all for biodiversity and everything, but somebody should have fucking nuked that island and all those god damn horror crickets with it
I’m fond of cats – but my word, they are for sure, dreadful killing-machines. Rats are IMO quite likeable in their way, but the same goes for them, squared-and-cubed. (Stolzenburg, who hates rats with the white-hot heat of a thousand suns for the ecological harm they do, gives in his book “a salute to them across the gulf of war” – recognising that they’re brave, clever, and highly-enduring.)
It’s all fun and games until she meets you for dinner and plops a purse full of bugs on the table. “Oh, I have to do some work at home tonight.”
More of a tree shrimp really.
It’s all fun and games until she takes you home after dinner and shows you her ovipositor*! :eek:
*A word, that if it had been in Firefox’s spellcheck, wouldn’t have led me to this, ovipositor sex toys (do I have to say NSFW?)
CMC fnord!
Sweet fancy Moses. I swear I would barricade myself indoors until the ungodly things went back to whence they came. Good grief. . .
Gyuuuh! (No appropriate emoticon available)
Creepy. It looks like a piece of shit, come to life with six legs and a nasty set of pinchers. :eek:
Do yourself a favor and don’t do a search for my little pony sex toys.
I think the bugs are cool, welcome back.
Hmmm… I guess that would be a bit off-putting.