Slashdot Mirror


Lost World of Fanged Frogs and Giant Rats

pilsner.urquell writes "40 previously unidentified species were discovered inside the crater of an extinct volcano on Papua New Guinea. The finds include a hairy caterpillar, an iridescent beetle, a striped possum, and what may be the world's largest rat — the size of a 'well-fed cat,' and showing no fear of man. The extinct volcano Mount Bosavi last erupted more than 200,000 years ago." There are also an audio interview with the expedition leader and a gallery with 15 photos of the new species.

93 comments

  1. Hrm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wasn't this already a movie? Don't go in, you'll never get out while horrible graphics assault you!

    1. Re:Hrm... by Fallus+Shempus · · Score: 1
      Or a series of books Rats in which the original mutant came from somewhere off New Guinea...

      EEEEK!

    2. Re:Hrm... by Slayer · · Score: 3, Funny

      There was a fake article about such an animal years ago on thedailymash (an English satire online publication). The article can be found here. It's shocking how accurately satire can sometimes describe future events :)

    3. Re:Hrm... by skoaldipper · · Score: 1

      Hello, I'm Doug McClure. You may remember me from such films as "The Land that Time Forgot" and "Chupacabra, the 'yo quiero Taco Bell' heir".

      --
      I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.
  2. world's largest rat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Here in the USA, we call those "lawyers". I've seen a few upside 'ah 300 lbs. You can't hunt 'em though :(.

    1. Re:world's largest rat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, you can hunt them, just don't let the "game wardens" find out :P

    2. Re:world's largest rat by nomad-9 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Here in the USA, we call those "lawyers". I've seen a few upside 'ah 300 lbs. You can't hunt 'em though :(.

      ...which is surprising, since they're not listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) :

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_endangered_species_in_North_America

      :(

    3. Re:world's largest rat by CarpetShark · · Score: 1

      which is surprising, since they're not listed as an endangered species

      Neither are carrots, but they still make an excellent snack.

  3. Vampire frogs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Fanged frogs? Crikey... if that was coupled with a strong leap, we could be in serious trouble.

    1. Re:Vampire frogs by faffod · · Score: 1

      Better than a rabbit with large fans!

    2. Re:Vampire frogs by faffod · · Score: 1

      Fangs... and here I thought a single short line didn't need previewing *hangs head in shame*

    3. Re:Vampire frogs by nystire · · Score: 1

      Would Greenpeace and similar organisations be considered fans?

    4. Re:Vampire frogs by Cheesetrap · · Score: 3, Funny

      Don't hang your head, you're exposing your neck to assault!

    5. Re:Vampire frogs by mikerubin · · Score: 1

      By the Frogs !..... Riding the rats !

      --
      I sat down to write a new sig tonight and all I did was make the chair warm.
    6. Re:Vampire frogs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wot's 'e do, nibble yer bum?

    7. Re:Vampire frogs by douglasdoughty · · Score: 1

      nothing a holy hand grenade couldn't take care of

  4. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The newly discovered Giant Rat was wiped out by a swarm of XP farmers.

    1. Re:In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget the quest for them as well. Way more gain that way besides beasts drop crap loot.

  5. This sounds familliar... by thatkid_2002 · · Score: 1

    Is there raptors in there? They are good for skinning and grinding on.
    Ah... fun times in Un'goro crater...

    1. Re:This sounds familliar... by Cheesetrap · · Score: 1

      Is there raptors in there? They are good for skinning and grinding on.

      Ah... fun times in Un'goro crater...

      I wouldn't let you go dry-humping specimens on MY excavation site! Some people... *shakes head*

    2. Re:This sounds familliar... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sad and ashamed ... but I actually got this reference. WoW on!!!

  6. finally by banffbug · · Score: 1

    a place for all the level one warrior wannabes to gain experience.

    1. Re:finally by CarpetShark · · Score: 1

      Giant Rats are level 9. Jeez. All these n00bs who've never played Dungeon Master, and think they know something about RPGs ;)

      But seriously... give it a go. It's a very cool (abandonware) game when you get into it. The giant rats might not scare you much, but the giant scorpions, deathknights, and dragons will.

  7. Those guys have a pair... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Jungle Spider

    A quick google / wiki couldn't give me any deep information about a "jungle spider". Is that guy really holding an unknown species of spider with his bare hands? That's pretty ballsy.

    1. Re:Those guys have a pair... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are plenty of incredibly nasty insects crawling and flying around rainforests; a spider which you can see and carefully not antagonize is probably the least of your concerns.

    2. Re:Those guys have a pair... by EdIII · · Score: 3, Funny

      It is certainly foolish.

      I don't know why, but it reminds of an anecdote I heard quite some time ago. Well, anecdote is probably not the right word for it, but I will repeat anyways. I can't give credit to anyone, since I cannot remember where it was from in the first place.

      Two aliens come upon each other in their travels. They strike up a conversation which lasts for some time. The one alien notices a strange protrusion from its new acquaintance. Bulbous with a large amount of holes of varying size and shape. It asks, "Do you mind if I have sex with that?". The other alien says, "That's exactly what I said about two hundred years ago.".

      I guess you could call it more of cautionary tale than a moral one.

    3. Re:Those guys have a pair... by Onymous+Coward · · Score: 1

      There's something about that story... It has a certain quality to it. What quality exactly? Ah yes, it's disturbingly bizarre.

      Though apropos.

    4. Re:Those guys have a pair... by MrMista_B · · Score: 1

      ... don't have sex with bulbous protrusions on aliens?

      What?

    5. Re:Those guys have a pair... by Xest · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Probably, but you have to remember those well versed in the biology of certain species will know enough to know whether it's safe to deal with.

      I have spent a lot of time studying succulent plants, and whilst members of the Cactaceae family are non-toxic, some members of the Euphorbia family have evolved in a convergent manner such that they have the same features of cacti however have a toxic sap, which can burn the skin. If I encountered a new species of plant that was succulent and spined I know enough to be able to tell you whether you can or can't safely handle or drink it's sap.

      There's also the behavioural aspect in insects and animals such that they can be handled if you know how to handle them, and what the tell tale signs are to avoid them and avoid handling them.

      So between understanding the biological traits of a species that define it's capabilities, and understanding the stances and movements of a species, you can judge pretty well how safe a new, previously undescribed species is to handle, and in fact, you can know a lot more about it than you might realise at first.

    6. Re:Those guys have a pair... by metlin · · Score: 4, Informative

      I believe that it's originally from Scott Adam's piece - "Life will NOT be like Star Trek".

      The original goes like this:

      Sex with Aliens

      According to Star Trek, there are many alien races populated with creatures who would like to have sex with humans. This would open up a lot of anatomical possibilities, but imagine the confusion. It's hard enough to have sex with human beings, much less humanoids. One wrong move and you're suddenly transported naked to the Gamma Quadrant to stand trial for who-knows-what. This could only add to performance anxiety. You would never be quite sure what moves would be sensual and what moves would be a galactic-sized mistake.

      Me Trying to Have Sex with an Alien

      Me: May I touch that?

      Alien: That is not an erogenous zone. It is a separate corporeal being that has been attached to my body for six hundred years.

      Me: It's cute. I wonder if it would let me have sex with it.

      Alien: That's exactly what I said six hundred years ago.

  8. A new HBO series by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Lost World of Fanged Frogs and Giant Rats"

    Okay the vampire stuff is getting out of control.

    1. Re:A new HBO series by CarpetShark · · Score: 1

      Sookie? Is that you? Aah told yah tuh stay inside.

  9. Is it possible by barocco · · Score: 1

    that bacteria and/or viruses there also evolved separately and most humans are not immune to them? Shouldn't we quarantine the expedition team for a reasonable period of time after they got out?

    1. Re:Is it possible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Viruses tend to rely critically on their hosts' genome, so there really isn't any danger of a new lethal human virus: we are too different. Bacteria, on the other hand, is undoubtedly a living organism, so it's quite possible it is robust enough to nail our immune system. OTOH, it hasn't been exposed to any antibiotics, so infections would probably be highly treatable.

  10. Re: ROUS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Wasn't this already a movie?

    Rodents of Unusual Size

    p.s. Princess Bride was arguably one of the best movies ever made.

  11. Takes guts to hold a new species of spider... by srothroc · · Score: 1

    If I found a new species of spider, I sure wouldn't be letting it crawl around on my bare hand. I wouldn't want to be the first known victim of a new species.

    1. Re:Takes guts to hold a new species of spider... by lastgoodnickname · · Score: 0

      But no one ever remembers who finishes second.

    2. Re:Takes guts to hold a new species of spider... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what she said.

  12. Pest control by clarkkent09 · · Score: 1

    The finds include a hairy caterpillar, an iridescent beetle, a striped possum, and what may be the world's largest rat

    Note to self, cancel all plans for a vacation on Mount Bosavi.

    --
    Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
    1. Re:Pest control by bryguy5 · · Score: 1

      Don't worry. You have to get past the other common species in Papua New Guinea such as the the salt water crocodiles on the coast, the aggressive cassowary, huge insects such as the rhino beetles, and over 80 different species of poisonous snakes (most of them venomous). All before you get anywhere near Mount Bosavi.

  13. Missing Tag by HW_Hack · · Score: 2, Funny

    I mean really - rodents of unusual size -- clearly a tag of Fire Swamp is required

    --
    Its not the years, its the mileage .....
    1. Re:Missing Tag by flydude18 · · Score: 1

      youkeepusingthattag

    2. Re:Missing Tag by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think it exists...

  14. World's Largest Rat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would be surprised if it was the world's largest rat. There are already Montaine rats in New Guinea that are bigger than the one pictured.

    1. Re:World's Largest Rat? by cailith1970 · · Score: 1

      An earlier article said around 1.5 kilograms (no I can't find it again). Our cat is reasonably small at 3 kilograms, so this rat would hardly be the size of a "well fed cat."

      Having said that, I doubt I'd want it trying to take a chunk out of my leg.

      --
      I intend to live forever, or die trying. - Groucho Marx
  15. All well and good... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All well and good but where's my GIANT ENEMY CRAB?

    1. Re:All well and good... by jameskojiro · · Score: 1

      I wanna be a popstar.....

      --
      Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
    2. Re:All well and good... by Cheesetrap · · Score: 1

      All well and good but where's my GIANT ENEMY CRAB?

      www.parishilton.com

  16. Pristine Ecosystems by zlel · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Do newly discovered ecosystems also represent new ecosystems of viruses, bacteria and diseases?

    1. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by bertoelcon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Do newly discovered ecosystems also represent new ecosystems of viruses, bacteria and diseases?

      IANAB* but, yeah they probably have new/different bacteria, viruses and diseases but most of those are probably tailored to the animals living there and aren't going to cause human problems until some mutations occur.

      * I am not a biologist.

      --
      Anything can be found funny, from a certain point of view.
    2. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by magarity · · Score: 0, Troll

      viruses, bacteria and diseases?
       
      Great - As if I didn't worry about my health enough... now there are diseases IN ADDITION to viruses and bacteria.

    3. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by Rogerborg · · Score: 2, Funny

      Perhaps ignorance is contagious?

      Aaargh, it's all over my face!

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    4. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by itsanx · · Score: 1

      Several diseases are related to nutrient defiency, like scurvy. These are certainly diseases in addition to viruses and bacteriae.

    5. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by itsanx · · Score: 1

      Sorry, that's "nutrient deficiency". Seems I was low on caffeine while writing that.

    6. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure, so they exist, but did they find a nutrient deficiency in the crater? Is scurvy part of the ecosystem?

    7. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Prions, parasites, fungi, radiation, autoimmune, genetic, many kinds of chemicals. I probably missed a few.

      Have a nice day.

    8. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by Reservoir+Penguin · · Score: 1

      Obviously, the only way to be safe is to nuke the whole crater from orbit.

      --
      US-UK-Israel: The real Axis of Evil
    9. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by mikechant · · Score: 1

      Don't forget fungal infections!

    10. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by magarity · · Score: 1

      The joke here, that no one got, is that "disease" is caused by viral and/or bacterial infections. All these other things are "disorders" and other types of medical problems but are not diseases.

    11. Re:Pristine Ecosystems by MightyDrunken · · Score: 1

      Well not according to Dorlands medical dictionary. Disease is a general term for infections, disorders etc. E.g. Coeliac disease Anyway even if you were right that disease==infections what about fungi, protozoa and other parasites?

  17. ROUS's... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't think they exist...

  18. Oh no... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Gremlins !... better not feed it after midnight....
    Now where's my good ol' American tractor...

  19. Ah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So they finally found the ancestors of the Chuck-e-cheeses rat?

  20. Watch Tonight by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can watch a documentary on this on the BBC tonight at 9. I'll definately be taking a look.

  21. Finally by tru3ntropy · · Score: 1

    A story i can sink my teeth into.

    --
    In Google we trust.
  22. BBC has a video of the rat by blau · · Score: 5, Informative
    1. Re:BBC has a video of the rat by ManlySpork · · Score: 0

      Is it just me or am I hearing gunfire/explosion like echos in the distance in the first part of that video?

    2. Re:BBC has a video of the rat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don't they just observe it instead of fucking petting it?
      'New' animals are discovered and the first thing people want to do is stroke them...

      By the beard of Darwin!

    3. Re:BBC has a video of the rat by 4D6963 · · Score: 1

      Well, that tells you something about their behaviour! And it's quite amazing how docile this one is. I had pet hamsters who were nowhere near as friendly (some who'd try to eat the flesh out of your fingers given any chance).

      --
      You just got troll'd!
    4. Re:BBC has a video of the rat by dow · · Score: 1

      Why do I suspect a rat that is tame enough to pet is probably ill. As if you'd want to pet a wild rat in the first place, let lone one which is dying already.

    5. Re:BBC has a video of the rat by TheDugong · · Score: 1

      Volcanos do that.

  23. What delicate wonders by DrugCheese · · Score: 1

    have died out of the world, for want of the strength to survive.

    --
    *DrugCheese rants*
  24. vulnerable by apodyopsis · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The first thing that crossed my mind is that all these species are localized to one particular area and hence rather vulnerable if the environment changes in any way.

    You only need to introduce 1 badly chosen predator and its the Stephens Island Wren all over again.

    1. Re:vulnerable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      One badly chosen predator, i.e. homo sapiens?

  25. Hope they didn't use the old discovery method... by yourtallness · · Score: 1

    a.k.a.: "Wow, a new species, let's shoot it with a rifle and discover its @ss"

  26. "He's like a little puppy." by argent · · Score: 1

    Favorite line in the video: "He's like a little puppy."

  27. Fangless by s1lverl0rd · · Score: 1

    Why is the frog photographed with mouth closed? How are we supposed to see the fangs?

  28. "showing no fear of man" by sa1lnr · · Score: 1

    They'll learn.

  29. Large rats by aclarke · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This is slightly OT, but in high school in Kenya, some guy came by who was buying frozen rodents for dissection in American college biology classes. He was paying something like $0.50 or $1 per rodent. We got him as many bats as he could handle (which was less than we'd hoped for) but my friend put out a bounty out to the local community on rodents. He said he'd pay them something like $0.15 per rodent they brought him.

    I guess he didn't specify DEAD rodents so someone assumed he meant alive. According to the who brought the rat, he had his 4 year old son go into a hole and pull out a giant rat that was so big that it had to be folded up to fit in a shopping bag. My friend got this rat in the bag, which I saw. It was still alive, barely. My friend stopped the bounty at that point as he didn't want to be responsible for some kid getting seriously injured for $0.15.

  30. Gives us a timeline of the rate of change by immakiku · · Score: 1

    To me the interesting piece of information was that 200,000 years in this new ecosystem causes such big changes. I'm not familiar with how well we know the timescales of other types of adaptation changes but now we know rats can become huge and beetles iridescent in less then 200k years.

  31. Rodents of unusual size? by jollyreaper · · Score: 1

    I don't think they exist. *pounce*

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
  32. The R.O.U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh so they discovered the Fire Swamp where the ROUS lives.

  33. Yes, but... by hyades1 · · Score: 1

    There's bigger rats than that, and they aren't all that rare. They're widely distributed in North America, but tend to congregate in Ottawa and Washington in Parliament, the Senate and Congress.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  34. Favorite quote by foniksonik · · Score: 1

    "It was mind-blowing to be there and it is clearly time we pulled our finger out and decided these habitats are worth us saving," said Dr George McGavin who headed the expedition.

    What a great call to action for the world over... "pull your finger out" and get back to work!

    --
    A fool throws a stone into a well and a thousand sages can not remove it.
    1. Re:Favorite quote by dwywit · · Score: 1

      It's quite common here in Oz - "extract digit" being a modern variation.

      --
      They sentenced me to twenty years of boredom
  35. Forget the rats and frogs! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Everyone here seems to be missing the an important part of TFA. Here's the paragraph with what I'm refering too, emphasis added on the important part:

    They found the three-kilometre wide crater populated by spectacular birds of paradise and in the absence of big cats and monkeys, which are found in the remote jungles of the Amazon and Sumatra, the main predators are giant monitor lizards while kangaroos have evolved to live in trees. New species include a camouflaged gecko, a fanged frog and a fish called the Henamo grunter, named because it makes grunting noises from its swim bladder.

    I didn't know that Paupa New Guinea had kangaroos at all, much less any that lived in trees!

    1. Re:Forget the rats and frogs! by douglasdoughty · · Score: 3, Informative

      It may not be exactly what you are thinking... at least it wasn't what I was thinking
      http://www.greenexpander.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/new-species-tree-kangaroo.jpg

    2. Re:Forget the rats and frogs! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My God... That's the cutest kangaroo I've ever seen!
      I need one in my handbag!

  36. Kilometre-deep? by Captain+Courteous · · Score: 1

    Might be tricky to get the logging equipment in there.

  37. Speak by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

    and what may be the world's largest rat -- the size of a 'well-fed cat,' and showing no fear of man.

    Bigger than a capybara?

    I wonder how The Tick will respond to this revelation.

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  38. Don't need to go so far... by CarpetShark · · Score: 1

    You don't need to go into space for sexual cautionary tales like that. For instance, if I recall correctly, there's a filipino tale about a guy who made love to a hole in a tree and became obsessed with it.

  39. Wonder what else is out there. by EroticPotato · · Score: 1

    This is interesting to me. I'm sure there are places that no one has ever seen before that have species just waiting to be discovered. It is kind of exciting to me just wondering what else is out there. More and more species are being discovered every year and unfortunately more and more are becoming extinct as well. I think we should be making more of an effort to seek out new life and preserve the life we have now.