Crustacean Surveillance: New Crayfish Named After Edward Snowden

PatrickJS

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Jun 8, 2015
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Crustacean Surveillance: New Crayfish Named After Edward Snowden



Scientists have announced today the formal name for a newly discovered species of crayfish: Cherax snowden, after the American whistleblower.

German researcher Christian Lukhaup and his colleagues have discovered Snowden hiding in an Indonesian river, they announced earlier today.

Snowden had previously been misidentified as a similar species of crayfish, but new findings confirm that Snowden is, indeed, a new animal altogether. Snowden has previously been exported to countries such as the United States as a colorful pet, often under the name "orange-tip."

In all seriousness, the new species of Indonesian crayfish (a close neighbor to today's other featured animal [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/142122-Biologist-Peter-Ward-Sees-The-Rarest-Creature-on-Earth-in-Papua-New-Guinea-a-Nautilus-Once-Thought-to-be-Extinct]) is, indeed, named for the famous (or infamous, if you are so inclined) American hacker, Edward Snowden. The researchers are quite clear about where the name for Cherax snowden comes from:

"The new species is named after the American freedom fighter Edward Joseph Snowden," goes the study [http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=6127]. "He is honored due to his extraordinary achievements in defense of justice, and freedom."

People do love animals named after celebrities [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141358-Hairy-Chested-Hoff-Crab-On-the-Ocean-Floor-Spends-Its-Life-Trying-Not-to-Freeze-to-Death-or-Burn-Alive]...

It is unknown at press time if the crayfish in question has released any classified documents, let alone possess advanced hacking skills. The claws are probably holding it back.

Source: ZooKeys [http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/new-species-crayfish-named-after-edward-snowden-n415526?cid=sm_tw&hootPostID=d847380c2be2a6b983810aed1bced9ac]


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Fox12

AccursedT- see you space cowboy
Jun 6, 2013
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Well, it's not the congressional Medal of Honor, but I'm sure Edward Snowden would be just as happy that his name will live on forever as a crayfish.

This is a cool gesture, though. I wish America treated him with such honor.
 

Neurotic Void Melody

Bound to escape
Legacy
Jul 15, 2013
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Just played the drinking game where a shot is taken for each use of the word/name "Snowden." Am gonna need to go lie down now.
 

Gorrath

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Feb 22, 2013
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Fox12 said:
Well, it's not the congressional Medal of Honor, but I'm sure Edward Snowden would be just as happy that his name will live on forever as a crayfish.

This is a cool gesture, though. I wish America treated him with such honor.
It's tough for the government to honor him when he was actively undermining the government's own efforts. If the administration comes out and calls him a hero for exposing things being done under that same administration, that would be more than a little odd. Lots of American people are quite thankful for what he did, myself included.
 

Redlin5_v1legacy

Better Red than Dead
Aug 5, 2009
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I am just imagining NSA workers realizing Snowden has once again entered their lives, sneaking into their personal aquariums, watching their every move when they feel safe and secure at home. The perfect Trojan Horse.

 

Mr.Mattress

Level 2 Lumberjack
Jul 17, 2009
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Okay, as much as I don't think Snowden deserves to be a Public Enemy for what he did (Whistleblowers are always a positive in my book), I don't think he deserves to have a Crayfish named after him, nor should an institute call him an "American Hero". But that's just me. Should've been the Cherax hawken or something...
 

Xan Krieger

Completely insane
Feb 11, 2009
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The only downside I can see to this is all the spineless jokes that will come out of it but hey, better an invertibrate than nothing right? The guy deserves a monument in DC as well to remind future generations that if you see something awful going on to let others know so that said awful thing might be stopped.