Interesting Facts About Cockroach - Fun Facts About Cockroach

Cockroach is the name of an insect that is found inhabiting all the countries of the world. Cockroaches are found in a wide range of habitat all across the globe, in fact, it is one of the very few creatures that are found in the hottest as well as coldest regions of the globe. Though there are over 5000 different species of cockroaches in the world, the most common ones comprise of the American cockroach, the German cockroach, the Asian cockroach and the Oriental cockroach. The most common climates for roaches comprise of the tropical and the subtropical ones. With the exception of the ones belonging to wood-eating genus, all roaches are omnivorous. Female cockroaches can be seen bearing their egg cases on their abdomen which can hold up to 40 eggs. In case you want to learn more about a cockroach, make use of the interesting facts and amazing information provided below.

Fast Facts

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Subclass: Pterygota

Infraclass: Neoptera

Superorder: Dictyoptera

Order: Blattaria

Families: Blaberidae, Blattellidae, Blattidae, Cryptocercidae, Polyphagidae and Nocticolidae

Species: Around 5000

Number of Legs: 6

Number of Knees: 18

Running Speed: 3 miles/hr.

Natural Habitat: Throughout the world

Diet: Omnivorous

Interesting & Fun Facts About Cockroaches

Some of the female cockroaches can mate once and remain pregnant for the rest of their lives.
A cockroach can live without its head for up to a week. This is because its brain is not in the head, rather is scattered throughout its body.
Cockroaches can survive without food for a month, but it will live only a week without water.
Adult male cockroaches can fit into a space of hardly 1.6 mm, but a pregnant female will require 4.5 mm of space to hide.
The heart of a cockroach comprises of a simple tube with valves. It can stop moving anytime, without harming the roach.
A cockroach can make use of its feelers or antennae, as noses.
The sense of smell of cockroaches is very acute. In fact, they can recognize family and friends by their distinctive odors.
Female cockroaches attract males by producing pheromones, a type of scent.
Cockroaches wear their skeletons on the outside of their bodies and have white blood.
The world's largest cockroach is found in South America. It is six inches long and has a wingspan of up to one-foot.
A cockroach can swim and even hold its breath for 40 minutes, at a stretch.
When a cockroach sheds its skin, it becomes completely white. However, the skin grows back within a period of 8 hours.
Male cockroaches not only weigh less than female cockroaches, but can also fly and flee faster.
Cockroach once served as guests of honor in European homes. In fact, it was customary to release them in new houses.
A cockroach does not have blood vessels.
Cockroaches spend at least 75 percent of their time in resting.
Like all other insects cockroaches use a system of tubes known as tracheae to breathe.
It is said that in the wake of a nuclear war and the consequent disappearance of the human race cockroaches will inherit the earth. Cockroaches have been found to have a great resistance to nuclear radiation as compared to the vertebrates.
The average lifespan of cockroaches is one year. In optimal conditions the female cockroach can produce around eight egg cases in her lifetime and can give birth to 300 to 400 offspring.
Apart from the distinctive hissing noise, some cockroaches such as the species found in Florida can make a chirping noise.
According to some earlier texts, cockroaches were used as medicines to cure several ailments. The texts left behind by some prominent minds including Pedanius Dioscorides, Abu Hanifa ad-Dainuri and Kamal al-Din al-Damiri suggest that cockroaches were used as medicines by grinding them up with oil or by boiling them. According to Lafcadio Hearn many New Orleanians used to have a great faith in the remedial power of boiled cockroach tea.

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