Bizzare Facts

The **cockroach** is the ultimate survivor, and its ability to withstand decapitation is the stuff of nightmares. Unlike humans, cockroaches do not breathe through their mouths or noses; they breathe through tiny holes called **spiracles** located along the sides of their bodies. Additionally, their blood doesn't carry oxygen, so they don't need a high-pressure heart pumping to the brain.

If a cockroach loses its head, the wound clots quickly, preventing bleeding out. The body can continue to stand, react to touch, and move for weeks, controlled by nerve clusters in the torso. The only reason the headless roach eventually dies is that it has no mouth to drink water, so it eventually succumbs to dehydration. It literally dies of thirst, not from the loss of its head.