Posted on 05/24/2007 2:00:26 PM PDT by Ben Mugged
Deep in the heart of the Florida Keys, wildlife officials are laying bait laced with poison to try to wipe out a colony of enormous African rats that could threaten crops and other animals.
U.S. federal and state officials are beginning the final phase of a two-year project to eradicate the Gambian pouched rats, which can grow to the size of a cat and began reproducing in the remote area about eight years ago.
"This is the only place in the United States where this is occurring," said Gary Witmer, a biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, Colorado.
"They don't belong here and they need to be controlled."
~snip~ The African rats can weigh 6 to 9 pounds (2.7-4 kg), with body shades ranging from brown to gray. They have large ears, black, beady eyes, hamster-like pouched facial cheeks, sharp teeth and distinctive long, stringy and white-marked tails.
~snip~"They're a big rodent. They're not particularly attractive. I don't understand why anyone would want them as a pet," Witmer said. "They're very messy animals."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Have seen rats that size in Pennsylvania. Herds of them. It was a dark and stormy night at a drive-in theater and that show was better than the movie.
“A former exotic pet breeder, living in a small house, bred the species and allowed the critters to escape.”
Bill him for the expense of “cleanup” and erradication and resulting property damage.
Brrrr....I HATE rodents. If I ever saw one of these, I’d freak!
In mid-April, Florida Keys wildlife officials found another invasive species: an 8-foot (2.4-metre) Burmese python. The first wild Burmese snake to be discovered in the archipelago, officials say, was found in a Key Largo state park.The snake had swallowed two of an estimated 500 remaining and endangered Key Largo wood rats, one outfitted with a radio-tracking collar.
So if these giant rats get down to a small enough number, would they be considered "endangered"?
Why is this a two year project? A few locals with their rifles, some ammo, and free reign to shoot rats anywhere any time could fix this problem.
Carny barker: “Rats, rats... Giant killer rats. From the jungles of Cambodia. Alive and living.... rats!
Must be careful with the terms of the license. An open season on rats could change the political landscape in Florida, especially in Palm Beach.
Send in the nutrias to clean house!
In the wee hours one morning, while working as an MP in Seoul, Korea, I drove my patrol vehicle over the crest of a small hill and saw the biggest rat I’ve ever seen in my life crossing the road in front of me. He didn’t scurry any faster at the approach of my vehicle, and even seemed to defiantly stop directly in front of me for a brief second to stare me down before continuing on his way. I’d been in Korea for some time at that point, and in my sleep-deprived state, the first thought that crossed my mind was, “I didn’t realize there were ‘possum in Korea!” Quite honestly, it would have been a very large opposum.
But... but... Guns are EEEEEVIL!!!
In Gambia, maybe.
Invasive species are no joke. Ask an Australian about cane toads.
Send for Mitt Romney and his varmit rifle!
Big deal. Rats this about this size have been around in Wash. DC for years. I achieved my high vertical jump 8 blocks from the White House when a rat about that size ran towards me from a construction site.
If they set foot on dry land .....
Probably not. 6 lbs. is a big rat, but a pretty small target if it's skittering through a marsh. Bounties for local hunters haven't been enough to knock down the nutria population in Louisiana. Better to bring in the pros and head off the problem fast rather than waiting for them to breed out of control.
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