The world's largest roach (which lives in South America) is six inches
long with a one-foot wingspan.
Roaches By the Numbers
6 -- Number of legs on a cockroach
18 -- Number of knees on most cockroaches (at least!)
40-- Number of minutes cockroaches can hold their breath
75 -- Percentage of time that cockroaches spend just resting (how lazy
can you get?)
5,000 -- Number of species of cockroaches worldwide
280 million+ -- Years ago that cockroaches are thought to have
originated (during the Carboniferous era)
Bad News
Some female cockroaches mate once and are pregnant for the rest of
their lives (bummer).
The Legend of the Headless Cockroach
A cockroach can live a week without its head. The roach only dies
because without a mouth, it can't drink water and dies of thirst.
Wanna Race?
Cockroaches can run up to three miles in an hour. (Hey, it's no
marathon, but it's not bad.)
Better Check Those Cracks in the Wall
Young cockroaches need only a crack as thin as a dime (about .5mm wide)
to crawl into. Adult males can squeeze into a space of 1.6mm or the
thickness of a quarter. Pregnant females need the most space to hide:
4.5mm or a space as tall as two stacked nickels.
Little Hearts
A cockroach heart is nothing but a simple tube with valves. The tube
can pump blood backwards and forwards in the insect. The heart can even
stop moving without harming the roach.
Run for Your Lives!