How high can a grasshopper jump?

The height a grasshopper jumps has been calculated at 20 times its length in a broad jump or 10 times its length in a high jump. If a person could jump the same ratio, he could clear buildings with ease.

Grasshoppers use their back legs much like a catapult. The flexor muscles inside its back legs act like a rubber band. When the grasshopper bends its back legs, tension builds in this muscle and waits for the release. The built-up energy in this knee-like joint catapults the grasshopper high into the air. Once air bound, the grasshopper may choose to fly to even greater heights.