31 Oct 2017

Giant coconut-cracking rat discovered in Solomons

From , 4:02 pm on 31 October 2017

A giant island rat that's almost half a metre long and can crack open coconuts with its teeth has been discovered in the Solomon Islands.  

Mammalogist Tyrone Lavery from the Field Museum in Chicago is the lucky person who's been up close and personal with the Vangunu rat.

He spoke to Alex Perrottet.

An artist's illustration of the newly-discovered giant rat, Uromys vika.

An artist's illustration of the newly-discovered giant rat, Uromys vika. Photo: Velizar Simeonovski/The Field Museum