The Giant Burrowing Cockroach, or Macropanesthia rhinoceros, is native to Northern Australia. They are a floor-dwelling insect without wings and incapable of climbing. Instead they've been named for their habit of digging burrows in sandy earth, often delving up to 1 meter into the ground where they give birth to live young, instead of eggs like most insects do.
This particular cockroach is the heaviest species of cockroach, weighing up to 35 grams. Males have a 'scoop'-like shield on top of their head used for digging and fighting rival males. During those fights the cockroaches 'hiss' by pushing air out of their body segments (they breath in a similar fashion as the Amazonian Giant Centipede).
Due to unknown population numbers in the wild they are classed as Data Deficient.
Fun fact: Giant Burrowing Cockroaches are popular pets because of the ease of care and their positive response to being handled.
