# How come cockroaches ignore zombies? aren't they carrion creatures?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-come-cockroaches-ignore-zombies-arent-they-carrion-creatures/26057>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [March 9, 2021, 5:34am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-come-cockroaches-ignore-zombies-arent-they-carrion-creatures/26057 "2021-03-09T05:34:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 22

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**Author:** ![Valase](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/valase/32/6972_2.png) [@Valase](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Valase)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/how-come-cockroaches-ignore-zombies-arent-they-carrion-creatures/26057/22 "2021-05-09T21:52:51Z")

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> [@DCHY](#):
>
> […] nymphs […] do not grow […]

This is, at least for the current experimental & 0.F candidate (and quite a few versions back - including 0.E stable), incorrect. They grow up after 7 days, as [the file](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/blob/cb02195d9fb5ba71f35a105be4104c3d8883065c/data/json/monsters/insect_spider.json#L272) and testing shows.  
After [7 additional days](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/blob/cb02195d9fb5ba71f35a105be4104c3d8883065c/data/json/monsters/insect_spider.json#L242), they also turn into `pregnant giant cockroaches`.

> [@DCHY](#):
>
> […] [cockroach] eggs do not hatch […]

That’s also incorrect. They hatch once the egg item has “rotten away” (similar to (fertilized) bird eggs) [based on the file](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/blob/cb02195d9fb5ba71f35a105be4104c3d8883065c/data/json/monstergroups/eggs.json#L94-L99) (and I could verify that they spawn from eggs via testing).

> [@DCHY](#):
>
> […] they do not lay.

And the third wrong statement…  
Both the `giant cockroaches` and `pregnant giant cockroaches` “lay” (spawn in) eggs every 7 days, 1 single egg from the [giant cockroach](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/blob/cb02195d9fb5ba71f35a105be4104c3d8883065c/data/json/monsters/insect_spider.json#L239) and 3 from [the pregnant ones](https://github.com/CleverRaven/Cataclysm-DDA/blob/cb02195d9fb5ba71f35a105be4104c3d8883065c/data/json/monsters/insect_spider.json#L305).

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