Rodents of Unusual Size

by wjw on September 10, 2009

I’m back from Dragoncon, and very tired and full of headache. I’m not sure why, since I actually got sufficient sleep during the convention, and had nothing to do yesterday but drowse.

Thanks to those of you who offered suggestions re my undying fame, my sincere thanks. I’ll reply in more detail when I’ve recovered my strength.

In the meantime, please enjoy this scientific report about the Giant Rat of S/u/m/a/t/r/a/ Borneo.

A new species of giant rat has been discovered deep in the jungle of Papua New Guinea.
The rat, which has no fear of humans, measures 82cm long, placing it among the largest species of rat known anywhere in the world.

The creature, which has not yet been formally described, was discovered by an expedition team filming the BBC programme Lost Land of the Volcano.

It is one of a number of exotic animals found by the expedition team.

Like the other exotic species, the rat is believed to live within the Mount Bosavi crater, and nowhere else.

“This is one of the world’s largest rats. It is a true rat, the same kind you find in the city sewers,” says Dr Kristofer Helgen, a mammalogist based at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History who accompanied the BBC expedition team . . .

halojones-fan September 10, 2009 at 4:15 pm

Nobody ever gets that line about the giant rat of sumatra… 8(

Although I do like how it got referenced in "Watership Down". Rather surprising to see a pop-culture reference in a book like that.

Ralf the Dog September 11, 2009 at 4:02 am

I have never been a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so I have no idea what you are talking about.

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post:

Contact Us | Terms of User | Trademarks | Privacy Statement

Copyright © 2010 WJW. All Rights Reserved.