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Rat Cunning May Allow For Island Colonization

Posted by Zonk on from the smart-little-rodents dept.

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."

3 of 190 comments (clear)

  1. This is obviously by randumspin · · Score: -1, Troll

    bull$%;+ cmon...they gave the poor mouse a freakin radio collar and they still couldn't find it for months??? What the hell?? At least this three-stooges pack of scientists isn't trying to do anything important like track blue whales, elephants, endangered species or anything else scientists can attach a radio transmitter too. Just imagine if these guys were the ones monitoring Martha Stewarts jail jewlery...oh lordy

    1. Re:This is obviously by randumspin · · Score: -1, Troll

      Well, thanks for the late breaking news smartass. What are you going to surprise me with next? Perhaps Martha Stewart isn't the same thing as a rat, either? If they really had a keen idea of where it was, why didn't they go kill a penguin then and set a trap? I mean it says ITFA they intended to catch him within 8 weeks. They must have seen all those old Energizer bunny commercials and realized at some point the transmitter was going to fail. After those 8 weeks...and during the next two...until the damn thing actually failed (big surprise) and they had to resort to cutting up penguins...these fools couldn't catch it even with a radio transmitter. THATS MY POINT buddy. I would have been out there with my radio triangulation unit or GPS or whatever the hell they used and a freakin BUTTERFLY NET and a SHOVEL and I would have found it, trapped it and fed it to my cat for dinner.

  2. Re:Serious questions about rats as pets by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I've had small rodent and/or exotic pets running the gamut from gerbils and hamsters to hedgehogs.

    Which one hurts the least in your tight anus?