Giant Grasshopper

Valanga irregularis

Grasshoppers have a special piece of cuticle (outer skin) within the knee that acts like a spring, its huge leg muscles compress the springs and when they relax, the grasshopper catapults into the air. If humans could jump the way grasshoppers do, we would easily leap the length of a football field.

This grasshopper has huge muscles around its jaws so that it can eat tough fibrous leaves. That is why it has such a big head and if humans could eat like it we would easily be able to bite a leg roast in half (bones and all).

This grasshopper also eats a variety of leaves because the plants have chemicals in them so they can’t eat too much of any one plant. If human children were grasshoppers they would eat all their vegies and love trying new things. They would also peel out of their skin 7 times, grow wings and have ears under their armpits.