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steve2470

(37,481 posts) Thu Jun 5, 2014, 09:59 PM Jun 2014

Giant 3-foot-long rats invade Florida Keys [View all]

http://kdvr.com/2014/06/05/giant-3-foot-long-rats-invade-florida-keys/

MIAMI – Flamingos, manatees — and rats the size of toaster ovens. Yep, the list of animals Florida is best known for is about to grow by one. But unlike the other two, the Gambian pouched rat isn’t likely to be featured on any tourism brochures or commemorative keychains.

The giant non-native rodent has invaded the Florida Keys and it will. Not. Go. Away.

Despite ongoing efforts to eradicate (e-rat-icate? Eh???) it from Grassy Key since 2007, new sightings confirm the rat — once thought to be on its last freakishly large legs — is harder to kill than Chris Brown’s career.

Not that it’s too hard to catch sight of one of these guys. Adult Gambian pouched rats weigh about 3 or 4 pounds and average 2 to 3 feet long, not counting their tails.

42 replies

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Giant 3-foot-long rats invade Florida Keys [View all] steve2470 Jun 2014 OP

They're also eaten by the local population in their native land Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Jun 2014 #1

�"Harder to kill than Chris Brown�s career." SunSeeker Jun 2014 #2

That was a great line! nt valerief Jun 2014 #36

Key Rats....I saw them often....I lived on Big Pine Key.... VanillaRhapsody Jun 2014 #3

I lived 10 years in Marathon... SiobhanClancy Jun 2014 #17

Yep they sure were adorable! VanillaRhapsody Jun 2014 #22

Gambian pouched rats frogmarch Jun 2014 #4

yea that one is cute steve2470 Jun 2014 #8

Same here! :-O frogmarch Jun 2014 #10

Rodents of Unusual Size? I don't think they exist. knitter4democracy Jun 2014 #5

DUZY. Nice Princess Bride reference. Wounded Bear Jun 2014 #6

lol. Winner! JNelson6563 Jun 2014 #14

Rick Scott moved the capital to the Keys? n/t BuelahWitch Jun 2014 #7

lol Bobbie Jo Jun 2014 #20

Hey, if we're going to invade every continent, who are we to judge other species? nt Xipe Totec Jun 2014 #9

Here in Pennsylvania we just call them Groundhogs and hallucinate that they can predict the weather. blue neen Jun 2014 #11

Thou shalt not take the name of Phil thy Groundhog in vain. Orrex Jun 2014 #31

Python food! NV Whino Jun 2014 #12

epiphany: we'll solve the gambian pouched rat problem by importing Burmese pythons ! steve2470 Jun 2014 #13

None for me, thanks. elias49 Jun 2014 #15

What they need is to import a nice Gambian Cabernet pinboy3niner Jun 2014 #16

ha ! steve2470 Jun 2014 #19

I bet that's really gnawing at you. scarletwoman Jun 2014 #25

such a biting question :p nt steve2470 Jun 2014 #26

And therein hangs a tail. scarletwoman Jun 2014 #27

Yellowtail, I suppose pinboy3niner Jun 2014 #29

Well, those Aussies know all about critters with pouches. scarletwoman Jun 2014 #30

The thought of globalized Ratnado is frightening pinboy3niner Jun 2014 #39

"now the only eat rat. Ellipsis Jun 2014 #18

This thing is not a rat, it is more closely related to Jenoch Jun 2014 #21

So we're gonna need... pinboy3niner Jun 2014 #23

Ha! Jenoch Jun 2014 #24

I have seen rats that size Rosa Luxemburg Jun 2014 #28

Saw some ratzillas in Vietnam a long time ago pinboy3niner Jun 2014 #33

The rats you saw were half the size of these rodents. Jenoch Jun 2014 #34

He must be from the Bush family. undeterred Jun 2014 #32

Jeez...did they import the damned things from Sumatra...? First Speaker Jun 2014 #35

"If rats were the size of English children, they could wipe us out in a week!" kentauros Jun 2014 #41

Oh, I thought the GOP decided on a location for their meeting. Behind the Aegis Jun 2014 #37

I thought it was nutria that was overrunning the South. valerief Jun 2014 #38

Faux News should just hire them all, but then there are things even a rat won't do so maybe not. bluesbassman Jun 2014 #40

Good thing they're not killer shrews... kentauros Jun 2014 #42