Rodents of unusual size? Researchers find giant, tree-dwelling rat in Solomon Islands

Deep in the forests ofVangunuin the Solomon Islands lives a rat like no other you've likely ever seen. It's more than four timesthe sizeof an average rat and weighs more than a kilogram.

Meet Uromys vika, a new giant rat species.

The Solomon Islands in theSouth Pacific are home to some unique species, a result of the relative isolation of the islands. In particular, they are home to a number of giant rats species.

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In 2010 while on a visit to the island ofVangunu,mammalogist Tyrone Lavery heard stories of a giant, coconut-cracking rat from locals. He was convinced that this was a new kind ofrat because while several giant rat species had been found in parts of the Solomon Islands, none had yet been discovered in the region known as the Western Province, which includes Vangunuand several other islands.

"Those islands have also never been connected to the other Solomon islands, so I knew that if something had managed to arrive in the Western Province, it was a really good chance it would be a new species," saidLavery, lead author of thefindings, which were published in the Journal ofMammalogyWednesday.

A shrinking habitat

You'd think finding a giant rat would be easy, but Lavery spent five years searching for the elusive rodent.

While spending time on a tropical island may sound like paradise, Lavery said that it was a gruelling experience: long hikes through the forest, plenty of longrainy dayssetting up traps and cameras, and digging through layers of vegetation to try to find some clue as to the rat's existence.

And thenby accidenthe and his colleagueHikuna Judgefound vika.

It's important to document these animals to know they're there and conserve them.- Tyrone Lavery, mammalogist

The rat was discoverednear the village of Zaira during a hike in 2015.

Lavery and his colleague spotted the rat scurrying out from a treethat hadbeenlogged nearthecommunitytryingto protect its rich forest from logging companies activethroughout the islandswhere various species ofthese giant rats live.

The researchers captured the injured rat, whichlater died.

"Logging is quite a threat to a number of [mammal] species," Lavery said.

That's because many species including many bats that Laverystudies in the islands relyon old trees, those with hollows in them where the mammals can live.

"And logging removes most of those trees," he said.

The researchers compared the dead rat's skull to existing giant rat skulls from other museums and collections. They found that this rat was like no other ever documented. The new species, Uromys vika, became the first rat discovered in the Solomon Islands in 80 years.

"It's important to document these animals to know they're there and conserve them," Laverysaid.

There are other giant rats living in the forests across the Solomon Islands. To date there have been eight species identified.

And while this vikarat may seem like a nightmare to some, Laverylooks at it quite fondly.

"People not having seenthis rodent, [believe] it's scary to think of a rodent that large," he said. "I don't think of it as scary. I think they're quite unique animals. And I think this rat is quite cute for a rat."