return to critters

Long Jump Champions!

Armor plating, camouflage, sensors, wings, mobility, and power! What might be considered essential specifications for the design of a covert military vehicle come standard on the rather common but truly fantastic grasshopper. And just like the development of any sophisticated machine, this creature was masterfully designed and engineered, and well before any man ever received a college degree.

Worldwide, there are thousands of species of grasshoppers. The most common are short or long-horned grasshoppers, defined by short or long antennae on their head. Like many bugs, they can smell and feel with these sensitive transmitters. Grasshoppers have six legs, and most have wings which enable them to fly. Instead of breathing through their mouths, they breathe through small holes in the sides of their abdomen. Grasshoppers feed on plants and hold their food with their front legs. Their chewing action is quite bizarre as their food is broken down by a side-to-side motion of their jaws, rather than the familiar up-and-down chewing of humans! Perhaps the most impressive feature of the grasshopper is its brawny back legs. They are huge compared to the rest of the body! It is clearly evident that these powerful legs were designed for massive jumps. Let’s zoom in and take a closer look at the details.

The design of the grasshopper’s posterior is absolutely incredible! Much like a catapult in action, the jump of the grasshopper is the result of a complex mechanism created by our Master Designer. Its muscles and tendons are more impressive than any industrial cables or hydraulics and its spring-loaded knees containing hinges, pulleys, and levers outshine any man-made machines. The large muscles in the rear legs pull on two tendons that act as cables. One tendon pulls the lower part of the leg into position, bending back a spring located in the knee. Then when the grasshopper is ready to jump, the other tendon is pulled back like a trigger, forcing the spring to release and the leg to straighten, launching the grasshopper into the air.

If you observe grasshoppers closely, you will notice a short delay before they jump. They must pull the leg into position and “cock the spring”. It’s much like pulling an arrow back on a bow. The arrow is pulled back, and when released, the spring-tension of the bow causes the arrow to shoot away quickly. This bow and arrow action is very similar to the grasshopper jump. If the leg isn’t pulled back all the way, the grasshopper will only be able to jump a very short distance. The basic design principles found in the grasshopper have been emulated by man throughout history in the engineering of weapons, vehicles, and other implements.

How far can a grasshopper jump? This incredible insect can leap approximately twenty times its length. In other words, if a grasshopper is one inch long, it can jump a distance of 20 inches at a height of about 5 inches off the ground. If people could do a standing long jump proportionate to grasshoppers, we would be able to jump over 100 feet, and soar more than 25 feet off the ground! We could literally leap over tall buildings in a single bound! (But assuming we could pull off this amazing feat, imagine what it might feel like to land on a rock with bare feet!) Most people can only jump about the same length as their height — about 5-6 feet from a dead stand. The world record is less than 12 feet (or only about twice the height of an average man). So the next time you’re watching the Olympics on television, remember that the best athletes are right in your backyard!

Sources:

return to critters

• Home
• About Us
• Newsletters
• Events
• Critters
• Resources
• Safari Map to Heaven
• Donate