Massive ‘giant woolly RAT' triple the size of regular rodent found as enormous creatures dubbed ‘largest in the world'
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
READ MORE ON WILDLIFE
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.
Advertisement
Most read in Science
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.
Advertisement
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."
3
With help from several local tribes, Vejmělka was able to document the rare species
Credit: František Vejmělka
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
28 minutes ago
- Arab News
Saudi transport minister wraps up visit to Russia and France
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser was recently on an official visit to Russia and France along with his accompanying delegation of officials from the sector. He participated in the opening of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and its main session, which was also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. In France, Al-Jasser attended the opening of the International Paris Air Show as well as a signing ceremony for an air services agreement between Saudi Arabia and Panama. The visit aims to strengthen cooperation between the Kingdom and Russia and France in the fields of transport and logistics.
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Ajit Pawar starts cooking for 2029 Maharashtra Polls with sugar politics plunge
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been intensely campaigning in Baramati for the Malegaon cooperative sugar mill elections, where he and his ' Nilkanteshwar Panel ' are contesting all 21 seats, with Pawar himself vying for the Chairman's post. This aggressive canvassing, involving 15 rallies and meetings and a changed schedule, has drawn attention as Pawar is contesting a sugar cooperative poll after nearly 40 contest is being widely seen as more than just a cooperative election, potentially offering a glimpse into the political landscape of Maharashtra's 2029 Assembly polls. Ajit Pawar's panel faces the ' Sahakar Bachao Shetkari Panel ' led by BJP's Chandrarao Taware. Despite being allies, the BJP has not pressed Taware to withdraw, nor has it fully supported Pawar in this contest. Taware asserts the contest is non-political and purely for farmers' interests, but observers in and around Baramati interpret it differently."This is the only sugar factory that is within Baramati, while there may be just 19,600 voters, if you count their family members then it comes to more than a lakh, then this cooperative also runs several educational institutions from KG to B pharmacy, MBA everything is taught in these institutions. If you count the students studying in it and their families, then this sugar mill directly impacts several lakhs of people within Baramati. With Taware being in the BJP, dada is not keen to have a BJP member control a key sugar cooperative that could influence politics in Baramati in future," said an NCP party functionary from 'future' here refers to the 2029 Maharashtra Assembly polls. Following their 133-seat win in the 2024 assembly elections, there's internal BJP discussion about contesting over 180 seats in the next polls. With 288 total seats in the Maharashtra assembly, this ambition would leave only 108 seats for their allies, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), a division neither would likely accept. "There is surely going to be a conflict within the alliance over the seats, as the BJP looks to play the big brother. At least one of its two allies may not be happy with the allocation of seats and may want to contest separately, what the BJP is doing now is to make inroads in their bastion in order to unsettle them in advance," said an unnamed political observer.
UPI
28 minutes ago
- UPI
Israeli hostage remains recovered, Netanyahu confirms
People react as they gather to watch a live stream reporting on the release of Israeli-American soldier hostage Edan Alexander, in hostages square outside the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, in May. File photo Abir Sultan/EPA-EFE June 22 (UPI) -- The bodies of three Israeli hostages have been recovered from the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Yonatan Samrano, Ofra Keidar and Staff Sgt. Shai Levinson's remains were retrieved Saturday as part of a military operation. Keidar, 71, was killed at a kibbutz and her remains were taken into Gaza. Levinson, who engaged in the Oct. 7th attack, was 19 at the time of this death, according to the IDF. Samerano's remains were discovered by the Israeli army. "I thank our commanders and fighters for a successful operation, for their determination and courage," Netanyahu said following the return of the remains. The Israel Defense Forces has recovered a total of eight bodies from Gaza this month as the latest battle between the two adversaries ignited on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. The return of the hostage remains comes amid a U.S. attack on three Iranian nuclear facilities Sunday, which bolsters Israel's efforts to cripple Iran's nuclear ambitions. Israel has recently started its own attacks on Iran. "The campaign to return the abductees continues continuously and is taking place in parallel with the campaign against Iran," Netanyahu continued. "We will not rest until we return all our abductees home -- both the living and the dead." The IDF did not say where the remains were recovered.
