Cockroach

I'm quite willing to admire at a distance all the athletic and health-promoting characteristics of the cockroach (even their hidden literary propensities, as laid out in 'Archie & Mehitabel' long years ago). And of course, I'm desperately sorry for the eternally pregnant state of some female cockroaches (though not so different from the state of many,many human females, until the arrival of the pill and contraception – anyone told those red hot cockroach daddies....?) But the fact remains – a cockroach is very difficult to love, or even like, except for another cockroach.

I'm not nuts about them either, but they are fascinating animals. Consider:

Six legs with eighteen knees, they can hold their breath for 40 mins or stop their hearts at will, can run up to 6 km/h (3.25 mph) and can survive a week after being decapitated (it can't drink water, so it dies of thirst).

The bad news is that some female cockroaches mate only once, and are pregnant the rest of their lives. Whatta bummer.

I'm quite willing to admire at a distance all the athletic and health-promoting characteristics of the cockroach (even their hidden literary propensities, as laid out in 'Archie & Mehitabel' long years ago). And of course, I'm desperately sorry for the eternally pregnant state of some female cockroaches (though not so different from the state of many,many human females, until the arrival of the pill and contraception – anyone told those red hot cockroach daddies....?) But the fact remains – a cockroach is very difficult to love, or even like, except for another cockroach.