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Giant Rat Discovered in Indonesia Jungle
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 12/17/07 | AP

Posted on 12/17/2007 10:22:34 PM PST by TFFKAMM

(12-17) 21:46 PST JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Researchers in a remote Indonesian jungle have discovered a giant rat that is about five times the size of a typical city rat and a tiny possum, scientists said Monday.

Unearthing new species of mammals in the 21st century is considered very rare. The discoveries by a team of American and Indonesian scientists are being studied further to confirm their status.

The animals were found in the Foja mountains rainforest in eastern Papua province in a June expedition, said U.S.-based Conservation International, which organized the trip in the Southeast Asian nation along with the Indonesian Institute of Science.

"The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. "With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip."

The possum was described as "one of the world's smallest marsupials."

A 2006 expedition to the same stretch of jungle — dubbed by Conservation International as a "Lost World" because until then humans had rarely visited it — unearthed scores of exotic new species of palms, butterflies and palms....

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: cryptozoology; giantrat; indonesia; opossum; rat
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1 posted on 12/17/2007 10:22:37 PM PST by TFFKAMM
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To: TFFKAMM

2 posted on 12/17/2007 10:23:56 PM PST by hole_n_one
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To: pcottraux

Cryptozoology Ping


3 posted on 12/17/2007 10:25:19 PM PST by TFFKAMM
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To: TFFKAMM
Heck we've got some of the same but larger 2 legged critters here in the USA, and they are mostly DemocRATS!!!

And they just love to feed off the taxpayers money and just crap on the country and the President in return.

4 posted on 12/17/2007 10:26:24 PM PST by prophetic
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To: hole_n_one

I wanted to be the first to post a fat dem but you beat me to it.


5 posted on 12/17/2007 10:26:24 PM PST by camerakid400
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To: TFFKAMM

A rodent of unusual size?


6 posted on 12/17/2007 10:26:49 PM PST by andrew2527
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To: TFFKAMM
Wow!

Giant Rats (5): AC 7; MV 12 (Sw 6); HD ½; hp 3,4,4,2,2; THAC0 20; #AT 1; Dmg/AT 1-3 (Bite); Size T (2'); SA Disease SD None; XP 15. Anyone bitten by a giant rat has a 5% chance of contracting a debilitating disease. Those who save vs. poison are not affected.

"Roll for initiative"

7 posted on 12/17/2007 10:28:26 PM PST by Lexinom (Build the fence and call China to account. GoHunter08.com)
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To: andrew2527

AROUS?


8 posted on 12/17/2007 10:28:29 PM PST by ThomasThomas (An investigative journalist is one who uses spellcheck.)
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To: hole_n_one

Ssshhhh... Be vewy vewy quiet.


9 posted on 12/17/2007 10:28:37 PM PST by kinoxi
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To: TFFKAMM

Anybody know if Ted Kennedy was missing?


10 posted on 12/17/2007 10:31:18 PM PST by taxesareforever (Never forget Matt Maupin)
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To: hole_n_one

Exactly who I pictured in my Naddled brain! LOL


11 posted on 12/17/2007 10:33:03 PM PST by ImpBill ("America ... Where are you now?" --Greg Adams--Brownsville, TX --On the other Front Line)
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To: TFFKAMM

Al Gore got lost on his way home from Bali?


12 posted on 12/17/2007 10:38:46 PM PST by seowulf
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To: hole_n_one

13 posted on 12/17/2007 10:40:40 PM PST by robomatik
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To: TFFKAMM

What the heck were Bill and Hillary doing in Indonesia?


14 posted on 12/17/2007 10:42:57 PM PST by airedale ( XZ)
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To: andrew2527

ROUS’s? Their a myth! Aaaargh


15 posted on 12/17/2007 10:52:52 PM PST by Uriah_lost ("I don't apologize for the United States of America," -Fred D Thompson)
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To: TFFKAMM

There was one on almost every talking head show this weekend too.


16 posted on 12/17/2007 11:05:28 PM PST by DoughtyOne (California, where the death penalty is reserved for wholesome values. SB 777)
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To: Uriah_lost

Perhaps there are fire swamps around there.


17 posted on 12/17/2007 11:13:15 PM PST by AndyTheBear (Disastrous social experimentation is the opiate of elitist snobs.)
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To: TFFKAMM

18 posted on 12/17/2007 11:15:34 PM PST by atomic conspiracy (Rousing the blog-rabble since 9-11-01)
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To: TFFKAMM

Giant water 'rat?
19 posted on 12/17/2007 11:19:31 PM PST by Pharmboy (Democrats lie because they have to)
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To: Lexinom
Yuphmmm let's see . five times a normal city rat.

that would be mabye the size of Paris Hilton's little dog.

Half a hit die. That sounds pretty close.

20 posted on 12/17/2007 11:20:01 PM PST by Cheapskate ( Celebrate Sept.8 as Pajamatag , the day the pajamahadeem busted Dan Rather!!)
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