Stranded Cockroach

Nice day, calm morning, swimmers are out and there's that guy who swims like a stranded cockroach.

Mr B told me that if you tip a cockroach on its back it can't flip itself over again.

F says 'don't play with cockroaches'.

I've seen upside down cockroaches on the pavement.  They wave their legs (arms? let's settle for 'limbs').  They wave their limbs.

It's a bit of an evolutionary faux pas to find yourself stranded upside down isn't it?  Unless of course you are a member of a social species that help one another out with a tip-over.  We've not noticed armies of socially responsible cockroaches rushing to the aid of their stranded cousins.

Anyway the swimmer: He swims on his back.  He rotates both arms simultaneously backwards and in the process dunks his head completely under water like a submarine diving.  That makes his legs come up above the surface. He splashes down hard with one leg which has the fortunate effect of bringing his head up just long enough (we assume) for a breathe, before his arms rotate backwards again forcing his head back below the surface.

It's unusual.

It was concerning the first time it was spotted from the balcony; was he drowning and signalling for help?

Now it is just entertaining.  He swims most days (even in winter).

Remarkably he does actually make progress like that.  If he doesn't drown himself he'll probably exceed average life expectancy.  

I've heard it remarked that he looks as though he may have already exceeded male human life expectancy.

(F has declined to post a picture of a stranded cockroach.  Here is an old picture from my blog of me with a beetle I found in our yard in Havant. It was sort of cockroach sized....
but you can't tell that in the dark can you?)

It was a stag beetle and I was made to let it go.

Comments

  1. Hari OM
    Swimming is an excellent exercise for the human body, Tigger. Don't know about cockroaches though... hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know I have got some cousins that go in for it, but you can keep swimming as far as I am concerned. What's wrong with chasing a Xmas decoration around the lounge for exercise? Furrings & purrings. Mr T

      Delete

Post a Comment