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Irish Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Science
- 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.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Elusive woolly rat photographed for the first time
New Guinea's subalpine woolly rat is the rodent of legends. Mallomys istapantap was first described in 1989, but even then the descriptions were only gleaned from examining historical museum material. The last recorded sighting of the fuzzy rodent 30 years ago failed to yield any photographic evidence, but after six months scouring the jungles of New Guinea, one researcher has finally documented one of the world's most elusive mammals. The New Guinean woolly rat doesn't make itself easy to find, but Czech Academy of Sciences doctoral candidate František Vejmělka recently managed to make history with the help of local guides. 'If it weren't for the indigenous hunters who accompanied me in the mountains and helped me locate the animals, I would never have been able to collect this data,' Vejmělka said in a statement. Vejmělka collaborated with multiple local tribes to survey the region around Papua New Guinea's highest peak, Mount Wilhelm (14,793 ft). Along the way he documented and genetically identified 61 species of non-flying rodents and marsupials, but it was his firsthand encounters with the woolly rat that stood out from the rest. The murine rodent lives in the region's remote, steep highlands at elevations around 12,000 feet. They only emerge at night to feed on plant matter and spend their days in underground burrows or high in the tree canopies. Vejmělka's documentation published last month in the journal Mammalia notes the thick-furred woolly rats measure about 2.78-feet long including their tail, weigh around 4.4 lbs, and feature 3-inch paws. Despite their moderate size, the university announcement describes the animal as a 'striking and formidable creature.' While tropical biodiversity across Africa, the Americas, and Southeast Asia is well-studied, the Australasian regions remain largely unstudied. Collaborating with local indigenous communities to find and document animals such as the woolly rat is crucial to help strengthen biodiversity and conservation efforts, and what is needed to protect them from outside threats. 'It's astonishing that such a large and striking animal has remained so poorly studied,' said Vejmělka. 'How much more is there to discover about the biodiversity of tropical mountains?'
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Massive ‘giant woolly RAT' triple the size of regular rodent found as enormous creatures dubbed ‘largest in the world'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A RARE species of giant woolly rat has been documented in photos and video footage for the first time ever. The elusive, nocturnal Subalpine Woolly Rat, or Mallomys istapantap, can be found high up in the mountains of New Guinea. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The species was last recorded 30 years ago and had never before been photographed until now Credit: František Vejmělka 3 Its nocturnal habits - and the inaccessibility of its habitat - have made it extremely difficult to observe in the wild Credit: František Vejmělka New Guinean Woolly rats are some of the largest murine rodents in the world - and are triple the size of the average rodent in the UK or US. Despite its total length of 85cm, 8cm-long paws, and body weight of roughly 2kg - the giant woolly rat has evaded researchers for decades. The species was last recorded 30 years ago and had never before been photographed until now. František Vejmělka, a Czech doctoral candidate from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the University of South Bohemia, is the first person to scientifically document the Subalpine Woolly Rat in the wild. With help from several local tribes, Vejmělka was able to document the rare species while on a six-month expedition from the base to the summit of Mount Wilhelm - the highest peak in Papua New Guinea at 4,509m high. "It's astonishing that such a large and striking animal has remained so poorly studied," said Vejmělka. "How much more is there to discover about the biodiversity of tropical mountains?" The creatures are typically found in regions up to 3,700metres high. Its nocturnal habits - and the inaccessibility of its habitat - have made it extremely difficult to observe in the wild. And until now, the Subalpine Woolly Rat was known to science only from a handful of museum specimens. Vejmělka documentation means scientists now have biometric measurements of the creatures. They also have knowledge other aspects of its lifestyle, such as the animal's diet, parasites that affect them, and activity patterns. The shaggy-furred rat climbs trees at night, hides in underground burrows or tree canopies during the day, and feeds exclusively on plant matter. "If it weren't for the indigenous hunters who accompanied me in the mountains and helped me locate the animals," said Vejmělka. "I would never have been able to collect this data."
