A 2003 survey found a particularly stubborn strain of the rod - shaped bacteria Bacillus pumilus in even the cleanest of clean rooms at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where Mars - bound spacecraft are assembled. (sciencemag.org)
The island also supports a large population of feral pigs, which are no doubt responsible for the decline in sightings of pumilus in the wild by Nature Conservancy personnel and others. (kingsnake.com)
I have maintained a captive group of P. c. pumilus for over 10 years. (kingsnake.com)