Giant Rat Discovered in Indonesia Jungle

Galactus

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By The Associated Press

posted: 17 December 2007 08:51 am ET

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)—Researchers in a remote jungle in Indonesia have discovered a giant rat and a tiny possum that are apparently new to science, underscoring the stunning biodiversity of the Southeast Asian nation, scientists said Monday.

Unearthing new species of mammals in the 21st century is considered very rare. The discoveries by a team of American and Indonesian scientists are being studied further to confirm their status.

The animals were found in the Foja mountains rainforest in eastern Papua province in a June expedition, said U.S.-based Conservation International, which organized the trip along with the Indonesian Institute of Science.

"The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. "With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip."

The possum was described as "one of the worlds smallest marsupials."

A 2006 expedition to the same stretch of jungle—dubbed by Conservation International as a "Lost World" because until then humans had rarely visited it—unearthed scores of exotic new species of palms, butterflies and palms.

Papua has some of the world's largest tracts of rainforest, but like elsewhere in Indonesia they are being ravaged by illegal logging. Scientists said last year that the Foja area was not under immediate threat, largely because it was so remote.

"It's comforting to know that there is a place on Earth so isolated that it remains the absolute realm of wild nature," said expedition leader Bruce Beehler. "We were pleased to see that this little piece of Eden remains as pristine and enchanting as it was when we first visited."
 
Pics, or it didn't happen.
 
I was hoping to see pics for proof. This article is dead to me now.
 
phhht! You can see some in New York :p
 
If there are no photos, then giant rats might as well be really small fleas.

Morg can send us NY Rat Photos, that will do.
 
Well, now we know where Spider-Freddie and BakerBoy have been.

jag
 
Why do some people choose not to have avatars. That was cool like, 2 years ago.
 
"We were pleased to see that this little piece of Eden remains as pristine and enchanting as it was when we first visited."

That last bit warmed my heart. :csad: :hormonal:
But leave those big ass critters in that jungle. :o
 
Could a mod change the title of this thread to "Story of Giant Rat, No Pics, Please Disregard" ?

:(
 
I looked at MSN.COM and saw a story on it there (with pictures). Maybe someone can post them here? I don't know how to do it.
 
RAT_narrowweb__300x195,2.jpg


This is the photo from MSN above.
 
It's not Splinter. It's Peter Pettigrew! He's in this room right now! Peter Peter come out wherever you are!

peter-pettigrew.jpg


Wormtail.jpg


pettigrew-kl.jpg
 

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