Pirate's Cove

Remember, though, that politics has nothing to do with science

Blind creature that buries head in sand named after Donald Trump

A newly discovered blind and burrowing amphibian is to be officially named Dermophis donaldtrumpi, in recognition of the US president’s climate change denial.

The name was chosen by the boss of EnviroBuild, a sustainable building materials company, who paid $25,000 (£19,800) at an auction for the right. The small legless creature was found in Panama and EnviroBuild’s Aidan Bell said its ability to bury its head in the ground matched Donald Trump’s approach to global warming.

Trump’s distinctive hair has already led to comparisons to a poisonous furry caterpillar and a golden-plumed pheasant, while a yellow-crowned moth was called Neopalpa donaldtrumpi in 2017. (snip)

The newly discovered creature is a caecilian and its naming rights were auctioned to raise money for the Rainforest Trust. The scientists who found the 10cm amphibian have agreed to use the name Dermophis donaldtrumpi when they officially publish the discovery in scientific literature.

Bell said: “It is the perfect name. Caecilian is taken from the Latin caecus,meaning ‘blind’, perfectly mirroring the strategic vision President Trump has consistently shown towards climate change.”

The funny part is that these scientists take long fossil fueled trips to search for new species. And that their Trump Derangement Syndrome is so great that Trump now has something that is named after him and will be for thousands of years if not more.