Leaproach, Jumping Cockroach Discovered In South Africa, In Action (VIDEO)

Be prepared to be extremely creeped out.

Earlier this year, Scientists in South Africa discovered a type of cockroach that can jump. Researchers have been studying its activity ever since and come up with some amazing discoveries.

For example, though it's only four tenths of an inch long, it can jump up to 50 times its body length. This skill is due to its long, powerful hind legs.

A video has even surfaced of the creepy crawler in action (watch below).

Found just outside of Capetown in Table Mountain National Park, the so-called leaproach thrives in grasslands and feeds on grasshopper excrement.

The discovery is especially noteworthy because, according to National Geographic, the last existing jumping cockroach lived in prehistoric times.

WATCH:

Comments

[aliceliddell]

10:15 PM on 12/18/2011

Not to burst the scientist bubbles, but less than 10 minutes ago, we just killed a jumping cockroach and we live in Anaheim, CA and it is not the first jumping one that we've killed...since the people living below us are beyond pigged style...this damned apartment complex is just plane nasty. Even the tinniest buggers can jump. So, I can hardly see how this can be a new discovery or a breakthrough in research. So without killing myself with chemicals, find out how to kill this suckers and that will be a breakthrough for me. Oh by the way, they seem to have a thing for dry uncooked gourmet pasta, papers and aimless crawling on the carpet...and you can steam clean the carpet all you want, hire someone to clean everything you have then leave the light off for about 20 minutes, turn it back on, then they will come out crawling everywhere....this is with no food particle anywhere at all in the house. So when you find out how to kill them without evicting your neighbors, no chemical spray, then let me know. Sincerely, Victimized

[Shirley Fisk]

10:16 AM on 12/16/2011

12/16/11
10:16am
NYC

Oh, yeah? I found flying roaches in a California apartment when I moved in. Filthy beasts.

[sacmom3]

05:46 AM on 12/15/2011

This sucker has nothing on the flying roaches in Louisiana.

[astuartgirl]

05:37 AM on 12/15/2011

Please keep those in Africa!!! We have enough of those in Congress!

[wakohnen]

05:35 AM on 12/15/2011

Considering the food source the roach was probably eating a little too close one day and thought, "I want me some of that". Next thing you know, jumping roaches are born.

[jonbgoode]

05:16 AM on 12/15/2011

At one of my projects in Asia I saw some over 4 inches that fly pretty good. But then I also saw rice bugs that were fried and salted and eaten

[sweetnancy44]

04:22 AM on 12/15/2011

I did NOT want to know this... O.o

[Christine Mcinerney]

04:14 AM on 12/15/2011

oko now! im not afraid of anything .......... but this is freakin me out!!! I swear im gonna have nitemares over this, why did i click on it. UUUGHHH

[Hamza Rehman]

03:25 AM on 12/15/2011

Why God why are you doing this to us?

[GIGI610]

03:10 AM on 12/15/2011

How dare they play that Great Song, of Superman, with a Nasty Roach! Disgusting! UGH!!! These bugs creep me out to sasy the least!!!

[Eddie Harper]

02:52 AM on 12/15/2011

Would be interesting to see what offspring they could produce if they were mated with the flying trapeze artist waterbugs in the Caribbean!

I and my good friend Debbie would commit suicide.

[Chris Doan]

02:14 AM on 12/15/2011

Wow, These little buggers jump almost as high as the ones that jump our borders!

[Raymond Lulling]

02:11 AM on 12/15/2011

A jumping roach that eats poo... Ok, still most people forget American Roaches dont need to fly, most people give them a free ride in furniture, and in southern states they simply fly in an open window. Both the little ones and the big ones fly.

[Karen True]

01:56 AM on 12/15/2011

just one more reason for me to not leave u.s soil

[John Hazelton Smith]

01:53 AM on 12/15/2011

Yet another reason to never travel to Africa.