Drip. Drip. Drip.

The BBC has us imagining that sound as New Zealand researchers thaw a colossal squid:

“They’re incredibly rare – this is probably one of maybe six specimens ever brought up,” said Carol Diebel, director of natural environment at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa centre.

“It’s certainly the one that we’re being really careful about, completely intact and in really fantastic condition.”

My favorite thing about colossal squid is the etymology of their Latin name, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltonii. The second part is the name of the person who named them, someone named Hamilton. I don’t really know who that is. But the first part literally means middle-claw-squid. Because not only are they twice as long as city buses, but they have swiveling, razor-sharp hooks in the middle of their tentacles!

More on this project (and a photo showing the arm-hooks) over yonder, and more facts (and more hook close-ups) at Tonmo.