Grasshopper is an amusing insect in many ways. It has never ceased to capture the attention of wild life enthusiasts and zoologists. It is green in color and has a pair of wings attached on either side. It uses its front legs to hold a leaf while eating. Its eyes are compound in nature. This means it can see multiple objects in multiple angles. Its hind legs have been studied extensively for their long jumping abilities. These powerful legs have muscles and tendons than can propel a grasshopper to heights, which no human can possibly imagine.
The hind legs make use of the muscles present in the femur or thighs and tibia or shins. The muscle, which it uses for jumping, does not weigh more than twenty-fifth of a gram! It is famously called “jumping muscle”. This muscle has the ability to propel the insect which is 20,000 grams per gram of its own weight! The speed with which the grasshopper jumps makes these animals unique.
The jumping muscle can push the grasshopper at a speed of 10 feet per second making it one of the fastest in the insect family. Impulses from the nervous system aid in this marvelous feat. There are a couple of nerve fibers attached to the jumping muscles. These transmit impulses. One is meant for slow movement and the other for jumping. The height, which the grasshopper manages to reach, is directly proportional to the number of impulses it receives. It can successfully jump to a height of twenty times its length. That is if a grasshopper is an inch long, it can jump up to a height of 20 inches.
More Articles :
- Grasshopper Facts
- Grasshopper Lifecycle
- How Far Can A Grasshopper Jump ?
- How High Can A Grasshopper Jump ?
- Internal Structures Of A Grasshopper
- What Does A Grasshopper Eat ?
