A walkingstick (палочник), also called a stick insect or a stick-bug, lives in all continents except Antarctica. There are a lot of them in the tropics and subtropics.

Their life stages are: eggs, wich are small, oval and hard-shelled, nymphs (they resemble adults but differ in color and size), adulthood (they reach maturity after 3 months to a year).

Walkingstick insects resemble green or brownish sticks or twigs, which gives them natural camouflage and an effective defense against predators. Female stick bugs are generally larger than males. Most male stick species have wings.

They eat tree leaves and other green plants.

Stick insects can live from a few months to up to three years, depending on the species.

Amazing facts:

- Stick insects first appeared over 40 million years ago.

- They spend much of their day motionless, hidden under  plants, and they are active during the day.

- A few species are even able to change their pigmentation to match their surroundings – like a chameleon.

- Stick insects very in size from 1.5 centimeters to about 60 centimeters in length.