How many days can a cockroach survive without its head?

Science hard Data from 2023

Guess before you scroll — the answer is below

Answer in days. Shorthand like 9m or 1.2bn works.

The answer

7 days

Roughly 7.

A cockroach can survive around a week without its head. It breathes through openings along its body, not its mouth, and its nervous system is distributed — it eventually dies of thirst, not decapitation.

Where this number comes from

Source Scientific American, entomology research summary
Figure refers to 2023
Last checked
Unit days

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