Remember how PETA's up in arms because of the fact that Mario wears what they believe is the skin of the Japanese Raccoon Dog in Super Mario 3D Land? Well, Conan O'Brien heard, too, and he's got a bit of a history lesson for the folks who champion the ethical treatment of animals. It's not the first time Coco has been linked to Mario. Remember when his show backdrop resembled a Super Mario stage?

I didn't realize it until O'Brien mentioned this, but Mario has a bad history of animal abuse under his belt. The lanky Irish comedian only skims the surface, too. Monty Mole, Wiggler the caterpillar and Blooper the squid are just a few of the creatures who have suffered at the hands of the Mushroom Kingdom's most notorious plumber/poacher. Looks like PETA missed the big picture.

Check the video after the jump. The Mario joke sits at about 5:10.