Mysterious Rare Giant Tree-Dwelling Rat Captured on Photo for First Time

A mysterious tree-dwelling rat that is three times the size of the common rat has been captured in photographs for the first time ever.

A team of researchers from the University of Melbourne and Solomon Islands National University set out to capture the rare sighting in the Solomon Islands. They reported their findings in a study in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

The Vangunu giant rat has been somewhat of a mystery in the area for quite some time. Locals to the area have reported seeing huge rats scuttling around and roaming the trees for years, however scientists had never witnessed them before.

Finally, after setting up camera traps in several rural areas, they caught a glimpse of the rare animal.

"This species had only ever been documented by scientists one time before. That individual was on a part of Vangunu island where the forest has now been logged," Tyrone H. Lavery, a lecturer in native vertebrate biology at the University of Melbourne and lead author of the study, told Newsweek.

"We know this species doesn't live in logged forests so we needed to try and prove it still survived in remaining forest on the island. So it was immensely important because our photographs were only the second time scientists have documented the species, we showed it still survives, and we highlight the importance of the last remaining tract of forest on Vangunu."

During the expedition, which took place in 2017, researchers from the Field Museum in Chicago managed to capture several photographs of the rats. They even collected skin samples, which were later assessed in a lab back in the U.S.

They found that on average, the rats were around 17 inches long and weighed around 2 pounds. This is triple the size of the average, common rat. They also discovered that the rat was indeed an entirely new species, now known as Uromys vika.

It took work to try and catch a glimpse of these rats. Researchers spoke with locals on where best to find them, and initiated some new methods too.

"We developed a new method to attract these rats. We used oil candles (glass jars with a cotton wick) and we filled the jars with sesame oil," Lavery said. "The oil moves up the wick and makes and nice attractant that lasts a long time. It worked really well! We also identified tree species that the rats prefer to love in, and confirmed this last patch of forest at Zaira village is very important for their survival."

This research is vital to the study of these creatures. Scientists still know very little about the species, so this is an important first step.

"I always advocate that we should care and protect for all species regardless of how we perceive them as being important to surrounding ecosystems," Lavery said. "This species spreads fruit and nuts around the forest, helping to disperse seeds and they are important food source of eagles and other species. They also feature prominently in the cultural fabric of people from Vangunu. It has an Indigenous name, and they know well of its ecology and habits."