Cat-Sized Invasive Rat Latest Threat To Florida Ecosystems - Reuters

[hatrack]

GRASSY KEY, Fla. - Deep in the heart of the Florida Keys, wildlife officials are laying bait laced with poison to try to wipe out a colony of enormous African rats that could threaten crops and other animals.

US federal and state officials are beginning the final phase of a two-year project to eradicate the Gambian pouched rats, which can grow to the size of a cat and began reproducing in the remote area about eight years ago. "This is the only place in the United States where this is occurring," said Gary Witmer, a biologist with the US Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, Colorado. "They don't belong here and they need to be controlled."

A former exotic pet breeder, living in a small house, bred the species and allowed the critters to escape.

Without eradication, wildlife officials fear the rats could eventually make their way onto the Florida mainland where they could quickly destroy fragile ecosystems. "They could cause a lot of damage," Witmer said. In Zimbabwe, for example, ravenous Gambian rats are blamed for damaging nut and young pea crops.

EDIT

http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/42135/story.htm

[zanne]

1. YIKES!

I wonder what happened to the "former exotic pet breeder"?

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Ever see "Willard"?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310357/

Check out the plot keywords. :D

[Delphinus]

2. Holy crap!

I clicked on the link, 'cause a part of me wanted to see a rat the size of a cat.

Too many times, we, as humans, simply do not think about the consequences of our actions.

[depakid]

4. Image:

[Delphinus]

5. Thanks!

And again I say, "Holy Crap!"

[Javaman]

6. Feh...Apparently they have never seen a New York warf rat.

size of a cat, big deal.

[seasat]

7. At least the Pythons in the 'Glades will have another food source...

besides aligators. ;)

Some of the fruit rats down here can get pretty big. My dog has killed about 30 of them since we moved into our house in 2000. I'd hate to have these added into the mix. Unfortunately stories about invasive species like these being released is becoming more and more common especially here in Florida. I hope when we get Democratic president they work to address this issue and ban the importation of some of these exotic pet species.

[Jim Warren]

8. Promote habitat for more of these

Florida Panther

[Dover]

9. Well this certainly answers my question about whether Republicans reincarnated.

Well Jeb, it's karma.

[stuntcat]

10. they're cute :(

I looked them up.

It's a shame they can upset a whole region because WE moved them there but I'm sad for the animals too if they're exterminated for being in the wrong place.. like the misplaced rabbits that were mass-poisoned to help Australia :( It had to be done though, and the pouched rats do not belong in Florida.