I am sure this happen with you, when you see a cockroach, and you rush behind it to kill it but it suddenly flipped on its back, show zero movement.
You think the cockroach is already dead but as soon as you took a step back they will run away immediately. So what does it mean, do they faking their death, or there is some other fact behind their this behavior? Lets find out.
Yes, Cockroaches Do Play Dead
There is a behavior name: thanatosis which is very common in cockroaches. This behavior is based on their instinct which they use to ensure their survival. This behavior is also common in other insects as well, usually animals and insect do this to escape from predators or parasites.
So when cockroaches find any human or predator near them, they feel threatened so they freeze their body completely and become motionless for specific period of time. After the threat gets vanish they start moving normally as if nothing happened.
Interesting Fact: Cockroaches do not do this consciously, it is their hard wire reflex, which they show even if they find something threatening which is in actual not any danger for them.
Why Flipping on Their Back?
As many of others, you are also confuse that why they chose this posture as a defensive one when this is the most vulnerable posture.
There are few reasons behind this:
- Because they know predators are not interested in any prey that is not moving because they consider motionless prey as dead. So indeed they try to mimic the dead body.
- The sudden flip divert the attention of the predator and they can get some seconds to escape.
- After the exposure to insecticide disruption of nervous system starts and their reflex action activate immediately they flip on their back. For few seconds they seems dead, but if the insecticide dose was not enough they will recover and ran away.
How Long Do They Stay Still?
It entirely depend on the cockroaches like how they perceive their threat, sometime they pretend this for few seconds while they can also fake this dead play for few minutes also.
Can You Tell If It’s Faking?
Yes, if you keenly observe the motionless cockroach you can easily tell that it is faking or not?
- Antennae movement: If the cockroach is faking it then its antenna will slightly move, which is your clear hint.
- MentLeg positioning: If it is playing dead infront of you then obviously their legs are more extended, whereas in actual dead cockroaches legs are curled inward.
- Response to air movement: Use any paper to give gentle air to cockroach, or simply blow air to cockroach, if it is faking then it will surely react to some extent.
How Quickly it Recovers? They recover immediately if the threat gets away.
Does This Make Cockroaches Harder to Kill?
Yes, most people do not kill the cockroaches when they are playing dead. Instead they simply throw them in the bin which give cockroaches a chance to escape and starts again roaming in the house.
Fact: Pesticide professionals always recommend that if you even find a dead cockroach still disposed of them completely.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do cockroaches play dead? | Yes |
| Is it a conscious choice? | No |
| How can you tell it’s faking? | Antenna movement, leg position, reaction to air |
| Does pesticide cause the same thing? | Yes |
| Should you assume a still roach is dead? | No |
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