You know the rules: here on the internet we give every animal in creation at least one shot at being “the best.” So far we’ve tried dogs, cats, pigs, bats, raccoons, foxes, and bears, and I think you’ll agree it’s about time we stopped futzing around with mammals and tried out the most dominant animal on earth: the beetle. Particularly, this very good stag beetle named Spike, who loves to draw and eat jelly.
Spike got his first brush with fame after a tweet from owner Mandy showing off the beetle’s artistic talents went viral. The tweet’s now gone (Mandy has locked her account) but in its place we have a dedicated Twitter account for @SpikeTheBeetle. And, yes, he’s still churning out adorable masterpieces:
do you like it? pic.twitter.com/iaqZKI5HBY
— Spike the Beetle (@SpikeTheBeetle) July 4, 2017
We exchanged some Twitter DMs with Mandy, an English teacher from America currently living in Japan. She explained that beetles are actually a pretty common pet in Japan, especially large, horned beetles like the Atlas beetle, Japanese rhinocerous beetle, and Neptune beetle. They can be good pets in apartments where cats or dogs aren’t allowed and space is at a premium.
“I think they’re really interesting,” says Mandy. “Unlike a lot of small pets, they don’t dash off quickly, and can cling to clothes. So you can sit and work, or watch TV, with a little guy on your shoulder for company.”