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Can Beetles Paint? Meet Spike The Stag Beetle Who Is Winning Hearts With His Paintings

"And then he painted beautifully with his strong mandibles and tiny feet."

When a teacher names Mandy Bryant decided to hand over a marker to his pet and click his silly pics while painting, she had no idea that those pictures would become popular overnight. Yes, we are talking about Spike, the stag beetle whose artistic talent has gone viral.

Spike is owned by Mandy Bryant, an English teacher who is American born but currently living in Japan. When asked by the media about her pet, she explained that keeping beetles as a pet is common in Japan as they make up for a good pet and buddies in the spacious apartments that do not allow cats and dogs.

Ms Bryant says, "I think they're really interesting. 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 a company".

However, with this, we can say that nature doesn't believe in partiality when it comes to talent as some are just born with it (like Spike). In another case, he might just want to showcase his strong grip but then again the question is, why only with colours? Well, even Mandy don't have an answer to this question.

About Spike The Beetle

Mandy said that stag beetles, also found in Asia, are regarded as globally threatened species. She adds that the beetle is quite 'sweet and curious' and very special to her. She also added that though he is a little fella, he is also one hell of an artist.

Mandy said to media that she also owns two more beetles and they both have different personalities. Another case that shows spike is artistic is, whenever Mandy gives him jelly (meant for beetles) to eat in a hollowed-out wooden holder, he just loves to turf the jelly cup out and sit inside a cockpit. That's cool!

Talking about Spike's little paintings, he had a separate fan base for those cute paintings. To mention, the bids of the paintings had reached over $130 (£100).

Why Everyone Should Pet Beetles Once In A Lifetime

Though the word 'beetle' and 'cute' usually don't go side by side, after seeing Spike you may want to think a bit on it. The video has not only showcased Spike's artistic nature but also brought a hope that people will now appreciate insects. On this note, Mandy says, "The amount of love for Spike (who is not the cuddliest looking guy) has been staggering and really incredible. I hope that people can start to see insects as any other part of the natural world: beautiful and fascinating. They really aren't as scary as you think".

She added that beetles are more interesting than cuddly and need low maintenance. On the fortunate side, who knows you might get a beetle art again.

Read more about: insync
Story first published: Friday, August 2, 2019, 15:41 [IST]