Cockroaches May Have Personalities – But Still Remain Gross

(Photo by Gary Alpert via Wikipedia)
(Photo by Gary Alpert via Wikipedia)

The next time you see a cockroach and decide to destroy it, you might want to consider that scientists now tell us each individual roach actually has its own personality. But, of course, they are still incredibly gross, disgusting, and deserving of death.

A study just published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals that while we may think roaches are mindless insects who scurry around and eat our leftover food, each roach actually has a distinct personality that makes it unique among its roach brethren. Some are shy and others are more gregarious, the study reports. And this may be the secret to their tremendous evolutionary success.

Isaac Planas Sitj?, one of the researchers for the report, said:

?We have categorized the observed personalities. We call them ‘shy or cautious’ and ‘bold or explorers.’?Shy individuals are those that spend more time sheltered and explore less the arena or the surroundings. Instead, bold individuals are those that spend most part of the time exploring the surroundings and spend less time sheltered.?

These different personalities may have benefitted cockroaches over billions of years of evolution, and may help assure their survival in the future, the researchers added. Since each roach has its own mode of behavior, this could allow the species to thrive even when a disaster strikes.

Cockroaches used in the highly-disgusting study were measured by the speed with which they found shelter, and time it took them to find a source of food. More outgoing roaches may be able to find food more easily, but that ability is offset by the possibility that their bold nature makes them more susceptible to being eaten or killed.

In my opinion, I don’t care if roaches can sing and dance and build pyramids to rival the ancient Egyptians. Every single one I see will be crushed or given a Viking funeral in the toilet.

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.