(Aug. 30) - A giant burrowing cockroach is vying for a lofty title: the world's heaviest insect. Enough to make you cringe, right? His name is Heathcliffe and he lives in Australia, the insect's native home.
"They are the world's heaviest cockroach and if not the heaviest of all insects, they are certainly a contender," Nathan Lo, a biologist at Sydney University, told Australia's Daily Telegraph, which has published a photo of the bug.
Lo even said that the critters can make "great pets" and dine on leaves. They can live up to eight years and a pair can cost up to $100.
The insects can weigh more than an ounce and can grow to be more than three inches long, Lo said. Heathcliffe is just about that big. He measures more than three inches long and an inch-and-a-half wide.
Australia's giant burrowing cockroach is totally unrelated to American or German cockroaches.
Heathcliffe is on display at Sydney University's annual open day and visitors are invited to guess his weight.
Check out what Heathcliffe looks like on the Daily Telegraph's Web site.
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Giant Creatures
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Sophia Hall / AP
Sophia Hall / AP
