@cbsnews: This is one of the biggest rats in the world. The subalpine woolly rat, which wasn’t described until 1989, is an incredibly elusive species — known for climbing trees at night and hiding in underground burrows and tree canopies during the day in the steep highlands of New Guinea’s rainforest. But now, the rodents — also known for their sharp teeth, thick fur, 3-inch-long paws and for growing to be almost 3 feet and more than 4 pounds — have been captured on film for the first time. Frantisek Vejmelka, a young Czech biologist, was the first scientist to document the woolly rat in Papua New Guinea, saying it’s “incredible that such a large and remarkable animal remained so little known to science.” He worked with Indigenous tribes in the mountains to locate the animals, saying that, without them, “I would never have been able to collect this data.” His findings, along with the footage of the rats, was published in the scientific journal Mammalia last month. #rat #rodents #science #papuanewguinea #animals #animalsoftiktok #rare

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Monday 26 May 2025 13:30:40 GMT