I know! The title sounds like something out of a horror movie. But listen! For some animals, it’s a strange reality.
It isn’t a permanent state, but the animals I am about to list have somehow created fascinating ways of biologically adapting to this oddly specific situation. These adaptations allow them to survive without a head for hours or even days!
Sound interesting yet? Come with me, and I’ll show you what these headless animals have in store for us today.
1. Snake
While not exactly “living,” snake bodies can continue to move and strike after losing their heads. Their nerves are so reactive they can try to ‘attack’ for several hours after the head removal!
Just a little cautionary tip: if you’ve chopped off a snake’s head, be careful. The head can still bite even post-separation.
2. Flatworm
Flatworms don’t just survive losing their heads. They’re a lot more crafty than that – they grow heads back! They can regenerate literally anything. And yes, that includes their brains.
I assure you, this ability is as valuable to the worms as it is to us. Scientists studied their regeneration abilities to advance human medicine.
3. Praying Mantis
Female praying mantises are kind of notorious. And that’s for good reason: they bite off their mate’s heads during copulation.
But the males don’t seem to mind. How do we know? Well, uh, they continue to mate even after losing their heads.
Their nerve cords can function independently, without a brain telling them what to do! The headless male will perform even better somehow. The body takes over the reproductive duty entirely! Weird, but alright.
4. Cockroach
You remember that media craze about nuclear wastelands and atomic bombs? It felt like there was a video game, show, or film coming out about the topic every week!
Well, cockroaches became stars of those post-apocalyptic stories. They became infamous for their resilience: they can live without their heads for weeks!
The funny thing is that they can’t live without their heads forever. Not because of the missing head. But because of dehydration! Can’t really take a sip if your mouth is absent.
5. Chicken
Have you ever heard of Mike the Headless Chicken? No? Oh boy, do I have a story to tell you.
Picture this: 1940s, rural farmland. You’re a farmer with a hankering for chicken. You axe off a chicken’s head. But the chicken stays alive and continues pecking for food. This happened to Lloyd Olsen and Mike.
Mike survived for 18 months or so. But how was this possible? The answer is reflex actions from their spinal cord. If the brainstem is still intact, they live longer! Like Mike!