How Small of a Space Can a Cockroach Fit Through?
WouterCockroaches are surprisingly small creatures compared to their size. They can squeeze through gaps as small as three millimeters across, which is about a quarter of their body size. Even when pregnant, female cockroaches can fit through very small spaces if they are properly prepared. They can carry their egg sacs on their abdomens, which they deposit in safe spots.
Cockroaches can fit through a tiny space by flattening their flexible exoskeletons and spreading their legs. They can also travel through the smallest gaps with great speed, reaching up to 23 inches per second. In a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists challenged cockroaches to fit through a horizontal crevice. The study concluded that the cockroaches were able to fit through these tiny gaps by compressing 40-60 percent of their body size.
During the experiment, Jayaram filmed roaches running between two plates. They managed to squeeze through a gap a tenth of an inch wide and only had to use their sensory spines on their tibia to move forward.
Using sandpaper to attach to cockroach crevices, Jayaram and his colleagues discovered that a smooth top shell and no excessive floor friction were important for a roach’s ability to run through such a space. The researchers filmed Cram running between quarter-inch plates and a tenth-inch space. Another experiment used sandpaper to make the crevices harder for the cockroaches to squeeze through.
