Question

The thing which on decomposition becomes radioactive and cockroaches eat them

Answer 1

Why Do Cockroaches Die on Their Backs?

Because cockroaches have bulky bodies that are composed of three heavy segments supported by only six long, thin legs, they often involuntarily roll onto their backs when they die. This happens because at the time of death they lose muscle control, causing their leg muscles to contract and tuck underneath their bodies. Without anything to hold them to the ground, their top-heavy bodies topple over and they die belly up, on their backs.

Usually, only cockroaches that have been killed with insecticide die on their backs. This is because insecticide affects the nervous system, causing different enzymes to build up in the cockroach. These enzymes often cause muscle spasms, and with their already top-heavy body, they almost always end up lying on their backs at their time of death.

In nature, cockroaches mostly die as a result of being eaten. If a cockroach accidentally rolls over in nature, there is usually some debris (sticks, leaves, dirt) they can grab onto to right themselves. But cockroaches living in homes often find themselves in a tough situation if they roll over on a linoleum, or otherwise smooth, surface. After futile efforts to right themselves, they become exhausted and die.

It is important to remember that cockroaches do not always die on their backs, but with such top-heavy bodies, this is usually the case, especially when it comes to cockroaches that are living in homes or that have been sprayed with insecticide.

Why Do Cockroaches Come Out to Die?

It is not entirely clear why most roaches seem to expose themselves before dying. Unlike many animals that prefer to find secluded crevices when they feel they are close to death, cockroaches have been reported on many occasions to migrate to the center of a room before dying.

In one account, dying cockroaches would gravitate toward the center of a homeowner's living room after being doused with insecticide days earlier. In order to avoid stepping on them, the homeowner would kick them aside. When the homeowner came back hours later to collect the dead bodies, he found that the half-alive cockroaches had made their way to the center of the room again before dying.

One theory that attempts to explain why cockroaches behave this way is that the cockroaches are disoriented and plagued with muscle spasms after being sprayed with insecticide. This might cause them to confusedly make their way out of their hiding places and into the open.

Can Cockroaches Play Dead?

Cockroaches can, indeed, play dead. Many have reported seeing cockroaches stay completely still (sometimes even roll onto their backs) until a human presence or threat has gone away. Once they detect the coast is clear, the cockroach will flip back onto its feet and scuttle away to safety.

Cockroaches are also known to be able to hold their breath for up to 40 minutes. This skill makes them extremely good actors when it comes to playing dead. In a Mythbusters experiment testing if a cockroach could drown, the sample cockroaches appeared dead after being submerged in water for 30 minutes. However, the next day, all of the supposedly "dead" cockroaches were alive.