It’s hard to put one’s finger on what exactly makes an animal especially derp-tastic, but having a big ol’ floppy, sloppy tongue is usually high up on the list of traits. And is why Mochi “Mo” Rickert, a female St. Bernard from South Dakota, should be considered one of the derpiest derps of all time. She has a 7.3-inch-long tongue, which not only gives her the best chop-licking sounds since Brad Pitt’s pooch pal Brandy from Once Upon a Time in HollywoodOpens in a new tab, but also a consistent spot in the book of Guinness World Records.
Nobody can ever again say that derps aren’t overachievers.
Guinness World RecordsOpens in a new tab has posted the above video of “Mo”—we’d also like to offer the nicknames “Mo Sloppy,” “Mo-mo lickums,” and “Mo chee-chee”—noting that the “Rescue pooch… holds the record for longest tongue on a dog.” And while it’s unclear from the tweet, this is in fact not a new title for Mo; the distributor of world records first said that Mochi’s tongue was verified as the longest belonging to a dog back in 2016.Opens in a new tab
Carla and Craig Rickert discovered Mo at the Colorado-based rescue agency, Big Dogs Huge PawsOpens in a new tab, which only takes in dogs that weigh over 100 pounds. Mo, of course, probably weighs a lot more than 100 pounds—according to dogtime.comOpens in a new tab, female St. Bernards weigh on average somewhere between 120 and 140 pounds—but to be fair, at least 45 pounds of that is probably tongue. (Just kidding, of course, but we do wonder if that beast of a licker may cause some serious aerodynamic drag.)
Mo and Carla Rickert. Guinness World Records
Unfortunately, there are some legitimate drawbacks to Mochi’s long tongue, as it results in “breathing challenges, extra slobber when she’s nervous, dirt, dust and leaves sticking to her tongue and needing help when picking things upOpens in a new tab off the floor.” But it seems like the Rickerts are conscientious enough to make sure that Mo is taken care of properly. The pets, belly rubs, and peanut butter feedings in the Guinness World Records video all seem to attest to that fact, thankfully.
Rescue pooch Mochi holds the record for longest tongue on a dog.
“She’s brought a lot of joy to our lives,” says owner Carla Rickert ?#LoveYourPetDayOpens in a new tab pic.twitter.com/bAKnkkw0NBOpens in a new tab— GuinnessWorldRecords (@GWR) February 20, 2020Opens in a new tab
“With this record, we hope to bring attention to how much joy rescued animals can bring to their new family,” Carla told Guinness World Records. She added that “This once abused and neglected pup has taught us that it’s okay to be different.” And not just okay, but, evidently, a requisite for achieving world record-level greatness.
What do you think about Mo and her insanely long tongue? Will another, even more derpy, dog will come along any time soon to steal her title, or will she keep the competition licked for decades to come? Also, what kind of slobber-focused cleanup strategies do you think the Rickerts employ? (‘Cause that chore sounds rough.) Give us your thoughts in the comments!
Featured Image: Guinness World RecordsOpens in a new tab
