How Indestructible Are Cockroaches?

Wouter

Despite their tiny size, cockroaches are remarkably tough. They can survive even the most horrific of injuries, including nuclear blasts. Unlike most animals, cockroaches are able to heal their bodies from the inside out. Despite their incredible resilience, cockroaches usually live in a dirty environment, where they are exposed to harmful pathogens. As a result, their bodies have evolved to cope with the dirty conditions.

Their exoskeletons are comprised of overlapping plates that are connected by a stretchy membrane. This makes them able to fit through cracks and other tiny openings. This gives cockroaches extraordinary strength, and it also enables them to change their shape when they need to. Furthermore, they are very adept at hiding. They are not easily intimidated by outside factors, and their ability to find food and water from unexpected places is remarkable.

Cockroaches can also withstand massive amounts of radiation. Indeed, many German cockroaches survived the atomic blasts of 1945. However, despite the fact that cockroaches are highly resistant to radiation, they are not indestructible. The television show Mythbusters conducted a test to determine whether cockroaches could survive radiation. This experiment used 100,000 rads of radiation. While a single rad would kill a human in about 10 minutes, a single cockroach can survive a direct nuclear blast with less than ten percent of the radiation.

The scientists also found that cockroaches are resistant to insecticides. This is possible because they have a strong immune system and strong gut bacteria, which enable them to eat foods that may be harmful to them. Furthermore, because cockroaches only live for 100 days, they can become resistant to insecticides within a generation.

Continue reading:

Cockroach Exoskeleton Where Are the Eyes on a Cockroach? What is the Best Way to Kill a Cockroach? Is Cockroach Spray Harmful to Dogs? Cockroach Milk – Is it Safe to Consume? Cockroach Milk – Why Does Cockroach Produce Milk? Can You Eat Food If a Cockroach Touched It? Can a Cockroach Get Inside My Body?