The National Wildlife Federation

Donate Donate

Deluxe Reflexes

Why cockroaches move around obstacles with astonishing speed

  • NWF Staff
  • Aug 01, 1999
If you´ve ever watched cockroaches scurry, you know that the creatures move around obstacles with astonishing speed. Just how fast was recently established by Hebrew University of Jerusalem biologist Jeff Camhi, who used a maze and a video camera to discover that cockroaches can zigzag 25 times a second. That "high frequency of body turning," as Camhi puts it, makes the cockroach the most agile known animal of all creatures that turn as they navigate. The video revealed that signals from the insects´ antennae are critical to their speed.

Get Involved

Where We Work

More than one-third of U.S. fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. We're on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 52 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive.

Learn More
Regional Centers and Affiliates