The Colours of Oz

Also known as the Elephant Beetle for its size and weight, this one was brought to me and was very agitated so I let it go after a few shots, has also lost half a front leg. You can see it’s been around, dented, holed and cracked. It now sits on a slice of mango, a little heaven to a sweet toothed beetle.

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I put it out in a pot plant last night with a piece of mango and leaf litter after it served me, having read that’s what they eat. It took to the mango right away but didn’t fly away through the night as I thought. After the heat of the day I took it out from its shelter for a few more shots, it had dug in under a piece of wood. It had gotten very dusty digging in the earth and then a bit messy eating more of the mango. So I tried washing it down with some water poured on it. It wasn’t happy, hissing – as they do when picked up, and arching upwards. It’s over two inches long, nose to tail, and heavy. Wing span must be about six inches, I only saw the attempt to fly last night.