Scientists named a parasite worm in honor of Barack Obama

A new species of flatworm parasite that lives in the blood of turtles, was named Baracktrema obamai in honor of US President Barack Obama.

As the professor of biology at the College of St. Mary in Indiana, and a distant relative of Obama, Thomas Platt,has chosen the name - it's "an honor" for the president, rather than an insult.

According to Platt, sometimes people are willing to pay thousands of dollars to have species  named  in honor of any individual.

The scientist also said that the Obama parasite resembles the US president, as he is " long, thin and pretty darn cool."

Baracktrema obamai was found in two species of freshwater turtles: black freshwater turtles and tortoises.