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Rat Cunning May Allow For Island Colonization

weighn writes "It was assumed that most rat invasions begin with one or two rats coming ashore from ships. The journal Nature reports that a wild rat, captured and then released on a deserted New Zealand island as part of an experiment, amazed scientists by apparently swimming 400 metres through treacherous open water to reach another island." From the article: "Researchers wanted to know how hard it would be to spot a single invader, and how difficult it would be to capture. Razza had a small radio transmitter attached and was set free on the island. Scientists intended to recapture him within eight weeks, but Razza gave a new meaning to 'rat cunning'. He avoided all the scientists' traps, and after 10 weeks his radio signal failed. 'It would be fair to say that at that point we were worried,' Professor Clout said. The Conservation Department was also worried, as the island had been cleared of rats."

17 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. Just 1 Rat by powera · · Score: 5, Funny

    If it's just 1 rat, I wouldn't be too worried. It may be clever, but it can't mate with itself.

    1. Re:Just 1 Rat by isometrick · · Score: 4, Funny

      Unless there's frog DNA involved ... duh!

    2. Re:Just 1 Rat by darkonc · · Score: 5, Funny
      It may be clever, but it can't mate with itself.

      Obviously, this rat was intelligent enough to figure that out too, which is probably why he swam to the next island. it's incredible what us males will do for just the hope of a nice piece of tail.

      --
      Sometimes boldness is in fashion. Sometimes only the brave will be bold.
  2. Somewhere... by Chairboy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Somewhere in the world, Jeff Goldblum weeps...

    "Oooooh, ahhh... that's how it always starts. Then later, there's running, and screaming, and standing on top of a stool in the middle of your kitchen waving a broom at Chucky Cheese the 'lone' mouse there. You think a single rat won't cause problems? My friend, if chaos theory has taught me anything... it's that nature will find a way..."

  3. In other news: by bmo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Male rats were discovered to self impregnate after being told "Go F***k yourself!". In yet other news, Darl McBride is pregnant.

    --
    BMO

  4. Wow by Comatose51 · · Score: 4, Funny
    "To our knowledge this is the first record of a rat swimming across open sea, and it's often quite rough water," Professor Clout said. "We assume he did it deliberately, but who knows what was in his mind?"

    He speculated that Razza may have wanted female company.

    And I thought some of us were desperate!

    --
    EvilCON - Made Famous by /.
  5. fastest mouse in erm.. water? by Tahir+Azhar · · Score: 3, Funny

    if only they had watched a few episodes of speedy gonzales.. all that research money could have been saved.

  6. Good plot for a video game. by torpor · · Score: 3, Funny

    You're the rat, see, and you have been placed on a foreign island, and .. well .. rats gotta do what a rats gotta do, and that means go find some love, make more rats, avoid the evil scientists and their probing machines, swim through treacherous sharky waters, get some love..

    Something for my GPX2 when it arrives next month, perhaps ..

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
  7. I Like This Version of the Story Better by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Funny
    "It seemed like a good idea. Let a lone rat loose on a rodent-free island and then figure out how to kill it. That way, when other islands are invaded by rats, you'll know what to do.

    Scientists figured they'd trap this foot-long varmint in no time.

    Eighteen weeks later, they finally trapped it with some fresh penguin bait. On another island."
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9756077/
    This version of the article just seems to give a much better sense of "How Ironic, Hilarity Ensues" than the submitted one.

    And it includes little details, like they used PENGUINS as bait
    I can hear PETA cranking up their war machine.

    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
  8. Re:Rats are surprisingly smart by putko · · Score: 3, Funny

    "We killed well over 30 of the things. At first they simply waltz out to the feeder and we pegged them with the pellet gun. After a while they knew what the noise of the window opening meant so we had to round the animals up 30-45 minutes before feeding time and open the window. They then figured out the lighting so we learned to shoot in our noral lighting (none in that room). They then figured out where the killing lanes were - itwas kinda funny. You could see them walk right up to the line - almost to the inch - and prepare for the run. In one go get one seed. Unfortunatly for them we are good shots and small running targets are fun - still killed them. Changing food sources was not an option - nothing else around here to eat and they didn't seem to take the hint to move."

    That's really something. If you read about guys who try to trap/bait rats, it isn't so different. Their habits are such that they won't fall for the traps -- even if you put in what you think is a tasty treat. I'm not shocked they figured out the kill-zone boundaries!

    I've also read that they'll develop a taste for certain foods --- e.g. if they habitually eat spicy food, they'll want spicy food. Also, quite interestingly, they like the foods that humans like. E.g. macraronic and cheese, banannas and Pasta. They hate the foods that we hate: raw vegetables. Fried chicken and pizza they really like! They are very human in their tastes.

    --
    http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/when_to_s tone_your_children/dt21_18a.html
  9. Not invading! by M.+Baranczak · · Score: 5, Funny

    The rats are not "invading"! They're trying to spread democracy!

  10. Re:CAT Cunning! by gronofer · · Score: 4, Funny

    Great, and what will you send to catch the cat?

  11. At Bondi? by musakko · · Score: 3, Funny
    ..amazed scientists by apparently swimming 400 metres through treacherous open water to reach another island.

    That island being Australia. Smart rat.

  12. Re:Easy solution by DrSkwid · · Score: 4, Funny

    sorry, the only acceptable story goes like this :

    Skinner: (Upon finding out that the lizards he wanted to wipe out ate pigeon eggs) Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend.
    Lisa: But isn't that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we're overrun by lizards?
    Skinner: No problem. We simply unleash wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They'll wipe out the lizards.
    Lisa: But aren't the snakes even worse?
    Skinner: Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat.
    Lisa: But then we're stuck with gorillas!
    Skinner: No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  13. Re:They killed Razza! by noc_man · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, now its proven that rats are, indeed, the smartest beings on Earth. This was one of their cruelest experiments on us yet.

  14. Re:OT: Fake Print Button by InfiniteWisdom · · Score: 3, Funny

    So a "fake print button" is one that actually prints rather than taking you to another page?

  15. Re:Life finds a way... (was Re:Just 1 Rat) by mikael · · Score: 4, Funny

    I still don't see why they had to kill it instead of just recapturing it. I mean, after such heroic efforts, it surely deserved better?

    That rat gained invaluable combat experience that it would have passed onto others. Taking out this rat became essential if we are to maintain control of these islands.

    --
    Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads