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Rodents of Unusual Size

Posted by michael on from the world's-largest-hamster-wheel dept.

lowy writes "The New York Times has a story (free registration, blah, blah) reporting that paleontologists are claiming they have a nearly complete skeleton of a 1500-pound distant relative of the guinea pig. Would Westley and Buttercup have made it through the Fire Swamp if the R.O.U.S's were this big?"

1 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. Capybara anecdote by ballpoint · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The capybara is a pretty big rodent too.

    I saw and ate them when I was in Venezuela. Driving around we went to a steak house. Our ordering of a big steak was met with despise from the waiter. Oh yes, it was Good Friday and, Venezuela being a very Catholic country, they didn't want to serve meat.

    Capybara was ok, however. They consider it to be a fish since it lives in swamps.

    I didn't like it too much though; the meat is rather tasteless and fibery.

    --
    Flourescent (adj): smelling like ground wheat.