More weird Valentine's gifts: Name a cockroach at the Bronx Zoo after your beloved

Yes, seriously: The Bronx Zoo once again invites people to name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after a significant other.

By Amy Plitt Mon Feb 4 2013

Bronx Zoo
Photograph: Julie Larsen Maher

The Madagascar hissing cockroach, a.k.a. THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES

Bronx Zoo

There are weird Valentine's Day gifts—edible underwear, those chalky conversation hearts, a 3-D reproduction of your man or lady bits—and then there are Valentine's Day gifts that make us want to retch because omigod this is terrifying. And as much as we love the Bronx Zoo, its annual V-Day promotion—inviting New Yorkers to name a Madagascar hissing cockroach after their valentine—totally gives us the willies.

In theory, the idea is kind of cute: Your boyfriend or girlfriend's name will be attached to a living creature in one of NYC's best attractions. The gift is only $10 and all proceeds go to the Wildlife Conservation Society, so it's a great present for an animal lover.

In practice, however, we're not so sure. Have you seen a Madagascar hissing cockroach? (Click through the slide show above for an image.) If you're feeling brave, check out this video from the zoo; it shows a bunch of the insects clustered around the bottom of a tree. (It is not for the insect-averse, so consider yourself warned.) Plus, we're not really sure how one would respond to the gift: "I love you, so I named a cockroach after you" doesn't exactly scream romance. (Also, the hissing? Apparently it's a defense mechanism. Again, not particularly romantic.)

But perhaps our own entomophobia is coloring our opinion. What say you, readers? Would you give someone this gift? How would you react to this gesture?

Follow Amy Plitt on Twitter: @plitter