Michigan man attempts to break world record by stuffing 16 cockroaches in his mouth

LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan pet store employee got himself a mouthful of cockroaches -- on purpose. The Lansing State Journal reported Sean Murphy on Friday stuffed 16 Madagascar hissing cockroaches into his mouth. He was trying to set a new Guinness World Records mark and said the old record was 11.

Murphy initially got 12 squirming cockroaches into his mouth, but then kept adding them until he got to 16. He says it was a "big surprise" since he's never fit that many in his mouth before "in one try."

The employee of Preuss Pets in Lansing says each cockroach was at least 2 1/2 inches long. Murphy says he might try for 20 next year. A video of the feat was posted on the newspaper's website.

Murphy's effort would need to be certified by Guinness for it to be official.

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Utah boy breaks record for snails stuck to his face

-- Associated Press

Jeepers creepers: Bedbug-sniffing dogs save the day

Trained dogs sniff out drugs in schools, detect bombs in airports, and even chase geese away from golf courses, but now trainers are focusing their efforts on another type of smart canine: bedbug-detection dogs. 

Today, L.A. Times reporter Bob Drogin wrote about the hard-working animals who sniff out infestations of real-life bedbugs -- those tiny, blood-sucking pests that leave itchy, painful welts -- in apartment buildings, hotels and office buildings so people really can sleep tight. This pest problem has become more than just a childhood scare tactic: Bedbugs are very real.

Many pest-control companies are now purchasing the dogs from two main trainers in Florida, who sell the dogs for up to $9,500 each. The dogs receive treat rewards whenever they alert for bedbugs, so experts caution against some exterminators whose dogs report false alarms, allowing the company to tack on extra charges.

We hope that this means the old adage will soon become a meaningless good-night saying once again.

Read the full article here, or look through the photo gallery of bedbug dogs on the prowl.

-- Kelsey Ramos

Photo: Sara, a lab trained to hunt bedbugs, poses after checking an apartment in Jersey City, N.J. Credit: Michael Nagle / For The Times

Dung beetle named for Charles Darwin

Recently, we learned that a newly discovered hairy yellow spider had been named for David Bowie.

Since the undisputed "rock star" of the field of biology would have to be Charles Darwin (no matter what Kirk Cameron may think of him), we can't be too surprised that the latest celebrity-namesake insect is a dung beetle named Canthidium (Eucanthidium) darwini.

The newly discovered beetle measures only about 4 millimeters in length and was found during a series of expeditions to the remote Talamanca mountains of Costa Rica, during which over 30 species of amphibians, beetles and plants were found.  C. darwini is one of about 180 known species of dung beetle native to Costa Rica, according to the American Museum of Natural History.

The expedition was founded by the U.K.'s Darwin Initiative project, which has granted funds since 1992 to countries that are "rich in biodiversity but poor in financial resources to meet their objectives" for conservation.  (No word on why the dung beetle was named for Darwin, rather than a seemingly more prestigious amphibian.)  Researchers were able to coax C. darwini out of hiding by baiting traps with pig manure, a delicacy by dung beetle standards, the Telegraph reports.

This year marks not only the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, but also the 150th anniversary of the publication of his landmark work "The Origin of Species."

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Undated file photo of the naturalist.

Hairy, yellow spider is named for David Bowie

A German scientist specializing in the discovery of rare species of arachnid has named his latest find after David Bowie, he who introduced the world to "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars" in 1972. 

Unlike the album for which it was named, though, the Heteropoda davidbowie is no alien -- it was discovered in Malaysia by Peter Jäger, who has found about 200 new spider species over the past 10 years. And H. davidbowie, despite its name, bears no resemblance to either the Thin White Duke or his long-discarded Ziggy Stardust persona. It's large, yellow and hairy -- but its very strangeness, in a way, does seem to fit in with the theatricality of "Ziggy."

His penchant for naming his discoveries after celebrities isn't just for fun, either, Jäger says. Instead, he hopes that the names (another species was named after German musician Nina Hagen) will grab the attention of the public, whose help is needed to save these species, many of which are endangered. "It is working against time," Jäger told the Observer. "Along with the species, we are also quickly losing genetic resources that have evolved over more than 300 million years." 

Environmental authorities, the Telegraph notes, have often shied away from including spiders on their lists of endangered species, although the same dangers that affect other animals -- habitat loss, deforestation -- can affect them too. The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of threatened species features only 27 species of spider, although more than 40,000 species are thought to exist.

No word as of yet from Bowie himself about what he thinks of the dubious honor of having a spider named for him.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Bowie as Ziggy Stardust in the film "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars."  Credit: Cowboy Pictures

Bees attend the Dodgers vs. Cubs game

The beautiful sunshine, toasty temperatures and promise of a cold beer and a Dodger Dog inspired more than just Cubs and Dodgers fans to go to Chavez Ravine this afternoon. Swarms of bees made themselves at home in the left-center bleachers not too far from Mannywood at Dodger Stadium.

By the seventh inning of the game the swarm got so large that Dodger security was forced to clear out an entire section of the left field pavilion seats. 

 Why didn't the Dodgers simply escort the insects out of the stadium for failure to have tickets to the game? Look no further than the visiting team for that answer. In 1945 the Cubs refused entry to a man who brought his goat to a game at Chicago's Wrigley Field. The fellow was so upset that he allegedly put a curse on the team and the Cubs have never been to the World Series since.

The bees were allowed to stay and the Dodgers shut out the Cubs, applying, basically, the final nail in the coffin of the chances the Cubs would have for post-season play this season.

More photos of the bees and their effect on the left field pavilion after the jump.

Come-from-behind winner in Japan's National Rhinoceros Beetle Sumo Championship

Ever heard of the National Rhinoceros Beetle Sumo Championship? Neither had we but, according to the Mainichi Daily News, last Sunday's event was a rousing success with a last-minute upset victory.

Rhinoceros beetles are a subfamily of scarab beetle, and the term rhinoceros beetle can refer to several individual species.  They're known primarily for two traits: the prominent "horns" for which they're named (only males have them, and use them to fight other males over potential mates) and their extreme strength (they can lift up to 850 times their own weight).

The sumo championship -- held in Nakayama, Japan -- pitted rhinoceros beetles against each other not in a traditional fight, but rather in a timed climbing competition. The beetles had one minute to climb a pole about two feet high; the winner of each match was the one that climbed the highest in the time allotted.

More than 400 elementary-school students participated, and the final round came down to 7-year-old Takuma Kobayashi's beetle King Kabuto and 6-year-old Shoichiro Ito's King Joe. King Kabuto seemed to have it in the bag until he abruptly took flight and left the competition area.  Naturally, that's a disqualification -- meaning King Joe was named the tweetle rhinoceros beetle battle champion. No word on whether a noodle-eating poodle was present for the festivities.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: A golofa beetle, part of the rhinoceros beetle subfamily. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Stephen Colbert, Jeff Goldblum join PETA in condemning Obama's fly swat

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When President Obama killed a pesky flyduring an interview with CNBC's John Harwood, we doubt the leader of the free world expected it to become the focus of scrutiny approaching the intensity that once surrounded his Hawaiian birth certificate.

Obama's reflexes proved lightning-fast as he swatted the insect ("It's like he's got one of those fly Terminator targeting systems in his eyes," Jon Stewart noted), and as CNBC's camera panned to the dead fly on the floor, the president said, "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker."

Many gossipers -- notably TMZ -- reported that PETA had condemned Obama's action.  (For our part, we found the animal rights group's initial response notable only for its uncharacteristic subtlety.  "He isn't the Buddha, he's a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act," PETA blogger Alisa Mullins wrote.  Of course, PETA didn't miss an opportunity to send Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that uses a trapdoor to capture insects without killing them.)

As the story escalated, PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich waded into the fray, escalating the rhetoric by referring to the incident as an "execution."  Friedrich told Reuters that PETA members "believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals." [Correction: Friedrich notes that the reference to an "execution" was not his own, but rather was written by another PETA staffer on the blog The PETA Files.  He told Unleashed in an email that the "execution" comment "was typed in jest, as I think is clear in context."]

See-through frog, ugly salamander found in Ecuador expedition

Conservation International has announced the discovery of 12 animal species -- four amphibians, seven insects and one lizard -- believed to be new to science.  The species were found during a survey of the Upper Nangaritza River Basin in southeastern Ecuador and include a bug-eyed salamander that's been termed simply "the ugly salamander," a poison arrow frog, and an insect intriguingly named the white-faced gnome katydid.

The survey, conducted by Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program, also found a species of see-through frog called Nymphagus chancas; the see-through frog had previously been known to live only in one area of northeastern Peru.

"The species that we discovered on this expedition are fascinating and make clear how biologically important this area is -- not only because of the wealth of plants and animals that inhabit it but also because of the service that it provides to local people, like clean water and the opportunities for income from ecotourism," said Leeanne Alonso, vice president of the Rapid Assessment Program.  "It is crucial that it is protected properly."  Conservation International says it hopes the new discoveries will influence the Ecuadorian government to take new steps to protect the region's unique plant and animal populations.

For more information on the species found during the survey, check out Conservation International on the Web.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Video: National Geographic

President Obama swats a fly, gets a free flytrap

When President Obama granted an interview to CNBC's John Harwood, who could have guessed that the result would be a slap heard 'round the world and a gift from PETA?

Obama planned to tackle tough issues like the economy and healthcare, but a nagging fly made the interview difficult. Eventually the president managed a well-aimed swat, and the insect was history. As the camera panned to the dead bug on the floor, the president seemed pleased with his work. "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker," he said.  (His response was hardly Oscar Wilde-worthy; the Guardian's Adam Rutherford wrote: "My one criticism is that the prez failed to seize the opportunity to make a Schwarzeneggeresque pithy one-liner. Something like, 'This is a no-fly zone, sucker,' would have done quite adequately.")

Now, you know and we know that PETA loves a controversy, which is why we were a bit surprised at the animal rights group's subdued response. Although TMZ tried to stir up trouble, we were impressed by PETA blogger Alisa Mullins' post on the subject. "In a nutshell, our position is this," Mullins wrote. "He isn't the Buddha, he's a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act." 

Of course, PETA didn't miss an opportunity to lobby for ethical bug treatment: They promptly sent Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a rather ingenious insect-transporting device with a trapdoor and a nice long handle so you don't have to get too close to your uninvited guest.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Utah boy breaks record for snails stuck to his face

An 11-year-old Utah boy named Fin Keleher has apparently broken one of the world's grossest records. 

Keleher, during his 11th birthday party last weekend, set out to keep more snails stuck to his face for a 10-second period than the previous record-holder (who managed a grand total of 37).

Friends and family gathered at Keleher's Sandy, Utah, home to help him break the record, according to KSL-5 Salt Lake City.  They had one minute to pile as many snails as possible onto his face as he reclined.  When the minute had elapsed, Keleher sat up, causing some snails to fall off.  After ten seconds, the remaining snails were tallied.

It took three tries to break the record (the first two netted a total of 30 snails and 35 snails, respectively).  On the third try, 38 snails remained.  Not yet satisfied (or perhaps just a glutton for punishment), Keleher gave it one more go.  After his fourth and final attempt, 43 snails were counted -- apparently a new record.  (The Keleher family will submit their home video and witness statements to the Guinness company for verification.)

Asked about his snail-sticking technique, Keleher said, "I closed my eyes and covered up my mouth with … well, I sucked my lips in so that they could crawl on that."

--Lindsay Barnett

Video: KSL.com