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Within the question there is usually truth. WIthin the answer there are usually lies.

Do cockroaches have a purpose in life?

October 22nd 2006 14:13
his very question was pondered as I tried to stamp out the little pests from my kitchen the other day. The electrician had just been in, and he fixed the display unit on the oven (which shorted out thanks to those infernal creatures).

So do these disgusting, annoying, ugly (from any angle really) creatures have any reason to live?


Well it turns out the parasites do play an important role in our vast ecology. They are part of the global food web – 'the circle of life'. Here is why:

Cockroaches eat just about anything. Being omnivore scavengers, they decompose and recycle the organic litter left behind by larger animals. The other big bonus is that cockroaches do not care about what they eat. Possessing a wide variety of bacteria and protozoa in their digestive system, they can eat everything!

This is one of the main reasons as to why cockroaches have survived for such a long period of time – 300 million years to be exact. Cockroaches declined in number as the earth’s climate changed periodically, but they are currently thriving due to human impact. The little scavengers live for two things – heat, and a decent feed (both of which we have in abundance). Humans have re-created the Utopia for cockroaches. Our homes are kept warm all year round, and we leave food lying all over the place. To top things off, there are plenty of places to hide for the cockroach – under the stove, in the dishwasher, behind the toaster – the list is endless.


Funnily enough, most cockroaches aren’t pests. There are almost 3,500 species of cockroach in the world, and only 10 are on the World Health Organisation list of human pests. The majority of the cockroaches do not care about humans and their houses – choosing instead to recycle the waste products that are left outside. They also serve as food to small mammals, birds, amphibians and lizards.

Now to get one of those amphibians or lizards as a pet!

If Only!
If Only!
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Steve Irwin & Cub
Rest in peace buddy.
Steve Irwin was a great conservationist hailing from Australia. He tragically passed away - in his prime - from the world he strove to protect everyday. Despite his eccentric and larrikin behaviour, the simplicity and honesty he gushed out for everyone to see will forever be etched into our minds. Steve made nature ‘cool’. My heartfelt sorrow goes out to his grieving family, especially his wife and two children. Their loss is our loss. Steve brought out the inner smile in all of us. The following post is dedicated to you, mate. Lets hope heaven has a few more crocs for you to wrestle with…Crikey!


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This has always been an intriguing phenomenon. Pigeons (or ‘Rock Pigeons’ to be exact) have a peculiar habit of bobbing their heads up and down when they walk. This leads to a common misconception – that the legs of a pigeon are somehow connected to their heads. When they walk, they move their heads up and down; when they stand still, there is no movement!

In order to shed more light on this conundrum, one must first understand the basics of ‘bird vision’. From Ornithology (the science of birds), it can be inferred that as the pigeon’s eyes are on the side of its head – allowing a greater range of vision to stay vigilant against predators from all directions – they also disable the pigeon from its sense of depth. Pigeons cannot establish distances easily. Luckily we humans have eyes on the front of our heads, giving us depth perception


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