why do cockroaches flip over when they die?

Answer 1

First, few cockroaches die on their backs in the wild. Natural death of cockroaches probably occurs in the stomach of a bird, bat or other small animal.
Second, Cockroaches are not used to living on a polished marble or vinyl floor. They are more used to a ruguous living plane including leaves and sticks and other vegetable debris. Thus when a cockroach finds itself on its back (by some mistake in its orienteering) it may have trouble righting itself if there is not debris around to grab hold of with its legs. (Try it, put a cockroach on its back on a polished floor with and without some crinkled paper.)
Third, often we come across dead cockroaches in buildings that have died of insecticide. Most of these insecticides are organophosphate nerve poisons. The nerve poison often inhibits cholinesterase, an enzyme that breaks down acetyl choline (ACh), a neurotransmitter. With extra ACh in the nervous system, the cockroach has muscular spasms which often result in the cockroach flipping on its back. Without muscular coordination the cockroach cannot right itself and eventually dies in its upside down-position.

Answer 2

Giving up the ghost...

Most living things instinctively protect their bellies, which are the most sensitive vulnerable parts of their bodies.

Once your dead... Why bother?

and also because their gasses and juices shift and their weight changes from a living functioning state to a dead dormant one. When alive, they are heavier on their bottom or in their abdomen(s) which is why they can't flip over as explained above... A roach is mostly a creature of digestion so when alive and eating, their stomachs weigh more than their backs... Once dead and their bodily fluids go dormant, and they stop eating, the weight shifts to the opposite and they become top heavy.

But agree with the other guy above though... It depends on why they died too... Flipping over can kill one and gas or poison can too... but if they come across a cannibal (as they are cannabalistic creatures and think nothing of eating one another.)
then the loss of their head and or "natural causes" cause them to flip and die or die and then flip... It depends!

Answer 3

It isn't that cockroaches flip over when they die...If they flip over, they can't turn themselves over and therefore, they die from being on their backs...Another cosmic question along the same lines would be why do they die when they fall into a beer, and do they die happy when they do?

Answer 4

Gross, lol, but I think they flip over because all the weight is on the back of them??

Answer 5

Simple. It's so that you can distinguish the live ones from the dead ones and know which are a fit meal for your gecko and which should just be discarded.

Answer 6

I stepped on one once (by accident I might add) and it died.I don't recall it having time to do any kinda gymnastic stunt

Answer 7

Just for attention.

Answer 8

uwww! why would you talk about that? that's gross! u're sick!

anyways, the reason that i think why they do that is to fake it out till u go away...... or is it?

Answer 9

yuckkkkkkkkk

Answer 10

so you can tell which are dead