Giant rat nearly three feet long discovered by stunned scientist
A gigantic rat species, stretching over 2.5 feet in length, has been found residing in the lofty mountains of Papua New Guinea.
Called the subalpine woolly rat, this enormous creature has razor-sharp teeth, dense fur and claws measuring a whopping three inches – and it's been snapped for the first time ever, according to MailOnline.
Incredible footage captures the woolly rat darting along a tree limb under the cover of darkness, presumably on the prowl for its next meal, reports The Mirror.
But fear not, those of you dreading bedtime – this mammoth rodent won't be found anywhere near Ireland - it calls the steep, craggy peaks of Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea home.
The find is credited to Frantisek Vejmelka, a scientist from the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of South Bohemia in the Czech Republic.
"It's astonishing that such a large and striking animal has remained so poorly studied. How much more is there to discover about the biodiversity of tropical mountains?" he said.
Up until this point, the giant rodent – known scientifically as Mallomys istapantap – was only recognised from a handful of museum exhibits, initially described back in 1989, and had evaded wild sightings for 30 years.
However, during an extensive six-month field trip, Mr Vejmelka, collaborating with indigenous tribes, managed to secure both photographic and video evidence of this secretive creature in its natural surroundings.
Researchers placed camera traps approximately 12,000ft up Mount Wilhelm, which has a summit of 14,793ft. The cameras captured the rat's movements through misty forests and grasslands.
Measuring 2.7 feet in length, including its tail, and weighing nearly 2kg, the subalpine woolly rat is significantly larger than its brown rat cousin, which grows to 11 inches and weighs 200-300g.
The woolly rat is comparable in length to a domestic cat, which typically weighs between 3.6 to 4.5kg and measures around 2.3 feet in length.
The study gathered crucial data on the rat's diet, parasites, activity patterns, and movement, providing valuable insights into a species that has remained hidden for so long.
The nocturnal creature leads a secretive life, climbing trees at night, hiding in burrows or treetops by day, and feeding exclusively on plants.
The findings, published in the journal Mammalia, mark a significant advancement in understanding the mysterious mammals of New Guinea's remote mountains.
"These are the first specimen records in 30 years for this spectacular mammal poorly known to science," said Mr Vejmelka, crediting the local tribes for their assistance in the discovery.
"Camera trap images and video, as well as photographs of the habitat and hunting with indigenous people, deepen our understanding of the activity patterns, locomotion, diet, intrageneric elevational partitioning, and behavioural ecology of the woolly rats."
These New Guinean woolly rats, along with the giant cloud rats of the Philippines, are the largest rodents in the murine family and have evolved over five million years on rainforest-covered mountain slopes - untouched by competing mammals.
However, despite its impressive size, the subalpine woolly rat isn't the biggest rat out there.
The title of the largest rat goes to the Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus), which can grow up to 3ft long - with its tail making up half of that length.
Also in contention is the Malagasy giant rat (Hypogeomys antimena) from Madagascar, which reaches around 2ft.
Yet, none of today's rodents quite match up to prehistoric giants like Josephoartigasia monesi or Phoberomys pattersoni - now extinct - which once roamed the Earth as part of the planet's long-lost megafauna.
These larger-than-life beasts likely became extinct due to climate changes, environmental shifts, and human hunting.
But the recent discovery of the subalpine woolly rat proves that the world still harbours plenty of hidden giants - and not all of them are confined to legend.
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Irish Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Giant rat nearly three feet long discovered by stunned scientist
A gigantic rat species, stretching over 2.5 feet in length, has been found residing in the lofty mountains of Papua New Guinea. Called the subalpine woolly rat, this enormous creature has razor-sharp teeth, dense fur and claws measuring a whopping three inches – and it's been snapped for the first time ever, according to MailOnline. Incredible footage captures the woolly rat darting along a tree limb under the cover of darkness, presumably on the prowl for its next meal, reports The Mirror. But fear not, those of you dreading bedtime – this mammoth rodent won't be found anywhere near Ireland - it calls the steep, craggy peaks of Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea home. The find is credited to Frantisek Vejmelka, a scientist from the Biology Center of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of South Bohemia in the Czech Republic. "It's astonishing that such a large and striking animal has remained so poorly studied. How much more is there to discover about the biodiversity of tropical mountains?" he said. Up until this point, the giant rodent – known scientifically as Mallomys istapantap – was only recognised from a handful of museum exhibits, initially described back in 1989, and had evaded wild sightings for 30 years. However, during an extensive six-month field trip, Mr Vejmelka, collaborating with indigenous tribes, managed to secure both photographic and video evidence of this secretive creature in its natural surroundings. Researchers placed camera traps approximately 12,000ft up Mount Wilhelm, which has a summit of 14,793ft. The cameras captured the rat's movements through misty forests and grasslands. Measuring 2.7 feet in length, including its tail, and weighing nearly 2kg, the subalpine woolly rat is significantly larger than its brown rat cousin, which grows to 11 inches and weighs 200-300g. The woolly rat is comparable in length to a domestic cat, which typically weighs between 3.6 to 4.5kg and measures around 2.3 feet in length. The study gathered crucial data on the rat's diet, parasites, activity patterns, and movement, providing valuable insights into a species that has remained hidden for so long. The nocturnal creature leads a secretive life, climbing trees at night, hiding in burrows or treetops by day, and feeding exclusively on plants. The findings, published in the journal Mammalia, mark a significant advancement in understanding the mysterious mammals of New Guinea's remote mountains. "These are the first specimen records in 30 years for this spectacular mammal poorly known to science," said Mr Vejmelka, crediting the local tribes for their assistance in the discovery. "Camera trap images and video, as well as photographs of the habitat and hunting with indigenous people, deepen our understanding of the activity patterns, locomotion, diet, intrageneric elevational partitioning, and behavioural ecology of the woolly rats." These New Guinean woolly rats, along with the giant cloud rats of the Philippines, are the largest rodents in the murine family and have evolved over five million years on rainforest-covered mountain slopes - untouched by competing mammals. However, despite its impressive size, the subalpine woolly rat isn't the biggest rat out there. The title of the largest rat goes to the Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus), which can grow up to 3ft long - with its tail making up half of that length. Also in contention is the Malagasy giant rat (Hypogeomys antimena) from Madagascar, which reaches around 2ft. Yet, none of today's rodents quite match up to prehistoric giants like Josephoartigasia monesi or Phoberomys pattersoni - now extinct - which once roamed the Earth as part of the planet's long-lost megafauna. These larger-than-life beasts likely became extinct due to climate changes, environmental shifts, and human hunting. But the recent discovery of the subalpine woolly rat proves that the world still harbours plenty of hidden giants - and not all of them are confined to legend.
Dublin Live
30-04-2025
- Dublin Live
Man who predicted Covid fears next pandemic already here as warning issued
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Renowned science writer David Quammen fears the next pandemic may already be on the horizon, years after accurately predicting the COVID-19 outbreak. Quammen, who forecast the likelihood of a coronavirus emerging from a Chinese wet market, now warns that bird flu poses the most significant threat of sparking a global pandemic. His concerns come following the discovery of the H5N1 strain in a Yorkshire sheep in the UK and rising US infections, which have left health officials and experts uneasy. Quammen told MailOnline: "I have high concerns about bird flu. If you're going to make a prediction about what would be the next big one now, a scientist would probably say, well, bird flu has the best chance of being our next pandemic virus. "But there's always a lot of randomness built into this because these viruses have high mutation rates and mutation is basically a random process," he added. In the US, the virus has ravaged over 1,000 dairy farms, killed 168 million poultry birds, and resulted in more than 70 confirmed human cases, including the first known fatality linked to the virus. Quammen expressed concerns about the potential mutation of bird flu to become more contagious among humans. "Just the way the Covid virus went from being a rare virus to being a virus in humans and in wildlife all over the planet, that could happen starting tomorrow with bird flu," he said. The H5N1 strain hit headlines in 2022 after spreading to the US and it's been discovered in a variety of creatures like cats, raccoons, and even dolphins. Human cases have cropped up due to close contact with infected animals and, thankfully, there's no sign yet of people passing it between each other, reports the Mirror. Although the CDC reassures us that the risks remain low, some boffins are sounding alarms about possible shifts and mix-ups in the virus's genetic makeup that could eventually facilitate human contagion. Responding to these concerns, the Global Virus Network is urging nations to up their game on monitoring and biosecurity to avoid a repeat of the early chaos of Covid. Quammen added: "It might take four or five mutations of just the right combination to do that, and each of those mutations is a highly improbable event. And the combination of the right four or five is therefore an even more improbable event." The rapidly mutating bird flu has experts on edge, with one saying: "Bird flu is replicating itself by the billions in each individual bird that it infects - probably every day. My sense is this virus is replicating itself around the world continually right now, in millions of wild birds, in probably millions of chickens and in quite a few cows and other mammals." When it comes to the risk of a pandemic, they added: "All of those replications, each individual viral replication in each animal, is a spin of the roulette wheel. I'm not saying it's a certainty that bird flu will be our next pandemic; I'm just saying that it's a very very distinct possibility." Since March 2024, the US's human cases of bird flu stand at 70 confirmations, while England records over 30 farm outbreaks. Regarding food safety, after traces were found in milk, an expert admits: "absolutely" concerned. Industrial farming is also under scrutiny for its role in viral breeding grounds, with Quammen pointing out: "These massive industrial agriculture systems are petri dishes for the evolution of viruses,". Quammen also highlighted wider human behaviours - including climate change, overpopulation, overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions - as significant factors increasing the risk of future pandemics. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man who predicted Covid-19 says source of next pandemic could be already here
A man who eerily predicted the Covid-19 pandemic years before it wreaked havoc worldwide, causing millions of deaths, is now voicing concerns that the next global health crisis might already be in motion. Science author David Quammen, who had previously cautioned that a Coronavirus-like disease could likely originate from a wet market, possibly in China, now identifies bird flu as the most probable trigger for the impending pandemic. His warning follows the recent detection of the H5N1 strain of flu in a sheep on a farm in the United Kingdom, a case confirmed by the British government. This incident, coupled with escalating infections stateside, has raised alarm among health officials and experts. Speaking to MailOnline, Quammen expressed: "I have high concerns about bird flu. If you're going to make a prediction about what would be the next big one now, a scientist would probably say, well, bird flu has the best chance of being our next pandemic virus." He further noted the unpredictability inherent in these situations due to the high mutation rates of viruses, stating, "But there's always a lot of randomness built into this because these viruses have high mutation rates and mutation is basically a random process," In the US, the H5N1 strain has spread rampantly across farms, impacting over 1,000 dairy herds, decimating 168 million poultry birds, and leading to more than 70 confirmed human cases, including the first known fatality linked to the virus. Quammen sounded the alarm, cautioning that if the H5N1 bird flu virus mutates to become easily transmissible between humans, we might face a dire situation. "Just the way the Covid virus went from being a rare virus to being a virus in humans and in wildlife all over the planet, that could happen starting tomorrow with bird flu," he warned, reports the Mirror. Detected first in the US in 2022, the H5N1 strain has been discovered in various animals like cats, raccoons, skunks, canines, bears, and even dolphins. So far, human cases have been associated with contact with these infected creatures, and person-to-person spread hasn't been observed. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains that the risk of bird flu to the public remains low, but experts are on alert for potential genetic changes that could lead to mutations and reassortments—processes that may facilitate human transmission. The Global Virus Network (GVN) has urged governments around the world to step up their monitoring and biosecurity practices to prevent the chaos experienced at the onset of COVID-19. Quammen added: "It might take four or five mutations of just the right combination to do that, and each of those mutations is a highly improbable event. And the combination of the right four or five is therefore an even more improbable event." The threat of bird flu evolving into a pandemic is becoming more pronounced as the virus mutates rapidly. "Bird flu is replicating itself by the billions in each individual bird that it infects - probably every day," an expert warned. "My sense is this virus is replicating itself around the world continually right now, in millions of wild birds, in probably millions of chickens and in quite a few cows and other mammals." He further explained the gravity of the situation: "All of those replications, each individual viral replication in each animal, is a spin of the roulette wheel. I'm not saying it's a certainty that bird flu will be our next pandemic; I'm just saying that it's a very very distinct possibility." Since March 2024, the US has seen 70 confirmed human cases of bird flu, with symptoms mostly mild and occurring predominantly among farm workers who have been in contact with infected poultry or dairy cows. Alarmingly, traces of the virus have also been detected in milk available in supermarkets, a fact that has raised significant concerns about food safety and public health. Quammen also highlighted wider human behaviours - including climate change, overpopulation, overcrowding and unsanitary living conditions - as significant factors contributing to the risk of future pandemics.
