riddler 0 #1 September 8, 2009 Rats Of Unusual Size: QuoteLONDON, England (CNN) -- Scientists have discovered a new species of giant rat in a remote rainforest in Papua New Guinea. The newly discovered rat is similar in size and weight to this one found by scientists in 2007. Measuring 82 centimeters (32.2 inches) from nose to tail and weighing around 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds), the species is thought to be one of the largest rats ever to be found. The discovery was made by a team from the BBC Natural History Unit inside the crater of Mount Bosavi -- an extinct volcano in the Southern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea. "This is one of the world's largest rats. It's a true rat, the same kind you find in the city sewers," said Kristofer Helgen, a biologist from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, who was part of the expedition team. Initial examinations of the rat -- provisionally named the Bosavi woolly rat -- suggest that it belongs to the Mallomys -- a genus of rodents in the muridae family which are the largest living species of rodent. In 2007, a similar species of giant rat was found in Foja Mountains in Papua New Guinea's Mamberamo Basin. The team of scientists which made the new discovery included experts on bats, birds, mammals and reptiles found a number of new species. George McGavin, a Research Associate at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and The Department of Zoology of Oxford University told CNN: "It's hard to be sure exactly how many new species we have found, but it is more than 30. "To find new species of insects in this region isn't uncommon, but we found sixteen new frog species, one new bat species and at least three new fish, and this giant bloody rat -- the size of a cat. Amazing!" McGavin said the inside of the crater -- which he says measures around three kilometers in diameter -- was spectacular. "The animals inside this crater were unafraid of humans, pretty much because they hadn't seen them very much," McGavin said. Most local inhabitants, McGavin explained, tend to hunt outside the crater. "They don't really go into the crater to hunt because it's such a trek up and back down from it." The newly discovered rats aren't the world's largest rodent species. Native to South America, capybaras -- which look more like hairy pigs than rats -- weigh in at around 55 kilograms and can be up to 1.5 meters long. McGavin and the team spent six weeks in the region investigating species. During that time it became abundantly clear to the team just how endangered these habitats are. "What we are trying to do," said McGavin, "is highlight the fact that these habitats are terribly threatened. In fact, only 20 miles away from where we were the wood was being extracted." Research published in the journal Biotropica in June 2008 estimated that over a quarter of Papua New Guinea's forests had been either destroyed or damaged between 1972 and 2002. "Humans can't seem to agree on anything, but we should at least agree that forest habitats like this one should be conserved; not only because 80 percent of the world's species live in forests, but if we are going to avoid the worst affects of global warming we've got to keep these forests," McGavin said. Next March, the team is traveling to Bhutan in search of more new species. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnMitchell 16 #2 September 8, 2009 "Tastes like chicken." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d_squared431 0 #3 September 8, 2009 I have seen some large rats in Sac(area) from the rice fields but that is huge!TPM Sister#130ONTIG#1 I love vodka.I love vodka cause it rhymes with Tuaca~LisaH You having a clean thought is like billyvance having a clean post.iluvtofly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cocheese 0 #4 September 8, 2009 and Squeak is on his world tour. Coincidence? I think not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RastaRicanAir 0 #5 September 8, 2009 Scary. But do you know how to survive the OTHER two dangers of the Fire Swamp?OrFunV/LocoBoca Rodriguez/Sonic Grieco/Muff Brother #4411 -"and ladies....messin with Robbie is venturing into territory you cant even imagine!-cuz Robbie is Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildblue 7 #6 September 8, 2009 Fire swamp certainly does keep you on your toes.it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riddler 0 #7 September 8, 2009 Quote But do you know how to survive the OTHER two dangers of the Fire Swamp? The flame spurt and the lightning sand? Neither is comparable to the pure evil of the six-fingered man. Inconceivable! Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #8 September 8, 2009 Quote Quote But do you know how to survive the OTHER two dangers of the Fire Swamp? The flame spurt and the lightning sand? Neither is comparable to the pure evil of the six-fingered man. Inconceivable! My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sletzer 3 #9 September 8, 2009 QuoteHello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. I loved that movie when I was a kid. Glad to see I wasn't the only one who immidiately thought of that movie after reading the title.I will be kissing hands and shaking babies all afternoon. Thanks for all your support! *bows* SCS #8251 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #10 September 8, 2009 Quote Quote Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. I loved that movie when I was a kid. Glad to see I wasn't the only one who immidiately thought of that movie after reading the title. It's my brother's favorite movie. He modeled his wedding after it, complete with costumes and his best friend was an ordained minister and started off with "mawwaige, dat wevered inxstitution..." "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BikerBabe 0 #11 September 8, 2009 "Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't believe they exist..."Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,590 #12 September 8, 2009 Quote Quote Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. I loved that movie when I was a kid. Glad to see I wasn't the only one who immidiately thought of that movie after reading the title. I used to work with a woman who had a kid who was so fond of that movie, that she bought the VHS tape for him. Then she had to periodically buy replacement tapes, because he watched it so much he kept wearing them out. "There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 226 #13 September 8, 2009 . . . How are you feeling? You have been mostly dead all day!I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
