HE COULD ASK THE ROCK WHO? AREA RESIDENT SETS RECORDS AS REAL-LIFE SCORPION KING.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY - It took four days before a gravely ill Dean Sheldon agreed to go to the hospital, his tongue and the fleshy insides of his cheeks still tender from the poisonous stings of deadly scorpions.

A small price to pay - near death.

After all, the two-time Guinness Book world record holder recently grossed out millions of viewers by stuffing 22 squirming Chinese golden scorpions in his mouth on ``The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.''

``The first time I did it, I had to get drunk,'' he admitted. ``I've been stung thousands of times. It used to get me sick, but now I'm just immune to it.''

His fascination with scorpions, snakes, spiders, iguanas, bearded dragons and other creepy crawlers - let's not forget his 26-toed cat, Big Foot - began about two years ago, a year into his relationship with his fiancee.

Amazingly, Sabrina Valakos accepted with ease her man's new penchant for placing deadly creatures in his mouth. In an astounding show of support that would impress even Tammy Wynette, she happily lives with Sheldon and his odd menagerie in a small, two-bedroom apartment.

The harmonious housemates include numerous species of scorpions, eight snakes, four cats, four iguanas, three forest armadillos, two Savannah monitors, four Australian bearded dragons, five tarantulas, three geckos and two basilisk lizards - also known as ``Jesus Christ lizards'' because they appear to walk on water.

Valakos, 21, happily kisses Sheldon moments after his mouth is alive with scorpions.

``It's been so long and he's done it so many times, it doesn't bother me,'' she said. ``My friends think he's very nasty. But very brave, too. It's not so bad because we get to go to different places and see different things. It's an adventure.''

Sheldon's quest for his second world record took the couple to Sweden last year, where, for $700 and an all-expenses paid trip, he set a record at the official Guinness Book event by holding 18 Chinese golden scorpions (known as China's most deadly) and three Arizona bark scorpions (America's deadliest) in his mouth for 15 1/2 seconds.

``I always wanted to be in the Guinness Book of world records, since I was 3,'' said the Bay Area native and 14-year Army veteran. ``A neighbor got me into scorpions, told me they were friendly. And somebody gave me the boas. It just went from there.''

Not content to rest on his two records - he held 20 Oklahoma and Arizona bark scorpions in his mouth for 21 seconds to land his first Guinness record - Sheldon is in discussions with the Guinness people for a third stunt.

For $1 per scorpion, the disaster restoration employee hopes to bury himself in 5,000 emperor scorpions - eerily similar to some of the gross- out stunts Americans can't get enough of on the TV hit ``Fear Factor.''

``Some of the stuff I've seen on 'Fear Factor' - those people are crazy,'' Sheldon said, eliciting a surprised laugh from a recent visitor. ``No, I'm serious. Like when they put the guy's head in 50 tarantulas. That's crazy. You couldn't pay me millions to do that.''

Sheldon is not, however, all about icky world records. He is dedicated to reptile rescue and is earning a name for himself among local school kids.

Carting some of his creatures, Sheldon twice has educated students at Castaic Middle School about cold-blooded animals and their methods of reproducing, eating and surviving.

Eventually, Sheldon hopes to open a reptile petting zoo for children.

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Photo:

(1 -- 2 -- color) Dean Sheldon dangles a scorpion in his mouth while holding a pair of iguanas and cuddling with some snake pals, above. The critters often roam free at Sheldon's Canyon Country apartment, top right, which he shares with his girlfriend and other pets.

(3) Guinness certificates attest to Dean Sheldon's position as a world record holder for keeping scorpions in his mouth.

(4) A kitten, one of Dean Sheldon's four cats, plays in front of a python habitat at the animal-lover's Canyon Country home.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer