US EditionGiant Rat Species Captured on Video for 1st Time in Papua New Guinea
- Czech doctoral candidate František Vejmělka captured the first scientific video of the subalpine woolly rat in New Guinea's mountains during a six-month expedition.
- The species, Mallomys istapantap, was identified in 1989 from museum specimens but lacked any wild observation or photos until this expedition.
- The subalpine woolly rat inhabits montane forests and grasslands around 3,200–3,700 meters, is nocturnal, weighs up to 2 kg, and measures about 85 cm including a thick fur and large paws.
- On April 18, the study along with new footage was published in the journal Mammalia, where Vejmělka expressed surprise that such a sizable and notable species had been largely overlooked by the scientific community until now.
- The discovery offers new insight into New Guinea’s biodiversity and highlights the importance of indigenous collaboration for documenting elusive species in remote mountain habitats.
16 Articles
16 Articles
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See the First Photos and Videos of the Rare Subalpine Woolly Rat, a Massive but Elusive Rodent in New Guinea's Mountains
Working with local Indigenous people, biologist František Vejmělka spent six months surveying the creatures that live on Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea
Massive 'giant woolly RAT' found as creature is dubbed 'largest in the world'
A RARE species of giant woolly rat has been documented in photos and video footage for the first time ever. The elusive, nocturnal Subalpine Woolly Rat, or Mallomys istapantap, can be found high up in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. František Vejmělka, a Czech doctoral candidate, who led the research František VejmělkaThe species was last recorded 30 years ago and had never before been photographed until now[/caption] František VejmělkaIts no…
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