Skeleton of Giant Rat Discovered

Scientists in East Timor have discovered the skeleton of a rat three times larger than any rat living today:

The new species was three times heavier -- about six kilograms (13 pounds) -- than the biggest rats known to exist today, which are found in the tropical forests of the Philippines and New Guinea.[...]

Researchers found 13 more rat specimens in caves on Timor and other islands, 11 of which are completely new to science.

Aplin said that some of those new species may still be alive today and have simply eluded detection by scientists.


Rodents of unusual size? I don't think they exist.

Link via io9 | Photo: Ken Aplin/CSIRO.

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"Scientists in East Timor have discovered the skeleton of a rat three times larger than any rat living today..."

Have they been in the NYC Subway recently?
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