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Rare giant rat that can grow to the size of a baby and chew through coconuts caught on camera for first time
An ultra-rare gigantic rat so big that it puts New York City’s subway-dwelling rodents to shame has been caught on camera for the first time.
Uromys vika, a giant rat known for being “one of the world’s rarest rodents” according to the University of Melbourne, is found in just one isolated spot throughout the world – the island of Vangunu in the Solomon Islands. The species was only first identified by a single animal discovered in 2017, but recently, university researchers said that after placing out glass oil lamps filled with sesame oil, they captured 95 images of four different animals in the species using trap cameras, the first images to document the species.
It’s believed that of the animals documented, one is a male while the others are female.
While little is known about the species, scientists are sure of one thing – they’re huge.
Courtesy of Dr. Tyrone Lavery/University of Melbourne
“The rare giant rat is at least twice the size of a common rat, is tree-dwelling and reportedly can chew through coconuts with its teeth,” the University of Melbourne said in a press release. According to science news site LiveScience, the rodents can grow to be about a foot-and-a-half long – about the size of a newborn baby.
Along with their large bodies, the rodents are also known to have long tails and “very short ears,” researchers found.
The rodent species is considered to be critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, as the region in which it lives is just a 210-square-mile island. The area in which it has been found is a forest area less than 30 square miles that’s been rapidly declining due to logging.
The discovery of the giant rat in 2017 was the first time in more than 80 years a new rodent species had been identified in the Solomon Islands.
“Capturing images of the Vangunu giant rat for the first time is extremely positive news for this poorly known species,” lead study author Tyrone Lavery from the University of Melbourne said. “… The images show the Vangunu giant rat lives in Zaira’s primary forests, and these lands (particularly the Dokoso tribal area) represent the last remaining habitat for the species. Logging consent has been granted at Zaira, and if it proceeds it will undoubtably lead to extinction of the Vangunu giant rat.”
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A teacher and student killed in a shooting earlier this week at a school in Madison, Wisconsin, were identified Wednesday by authorities.
The Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a news release provided to CBS News that 42-year-old Erin West and 14-year-old Rubi Vergara were fatally shot Monday morning at Abundant Life Christian School.
Preliminary examinations determined the two died of “homicidal firearm related trauma.” Both were pronounced dead at the scene, the medical examiner said.
An online obituary on a local funeral site stated Vergara was a freshman who leaves behind her parents, one brother, and a large extended family. It described her as “an avid reader” who “loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band.”
West’s exact position with the school was unclear.
The medical examiner also confirmed that a preliminary autopsy found that the suspected shooter, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow — a student at the same school — was pronounced dead at a local hospital Monday of “firearm related trauma.” Madison Chief of Police Shon F. Barnes had previously told reporters that Rupnow was pronounced dead while being transported to a hospital.
Police had also previously stated that she was believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The shooting at the private Christian K-12 school was reported just before 11 a.m. Monday. In addition to the two people killed and the shooter, six others were wounded.
Police said the shooting occurred in a classroom where a study hall was taking place involving students from several grades.
A handgun was recovered after the shooting, Barnes said, but it was unclear where the gun came from or how many shots were fired. A law enforcement source said the weapon used in the shooting appears to have been a 9 mm pistol.
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