Giant Rat, Tiny Possum Discovered in Indonesian Jungle

• googoomuck

  20 Dec 07, 05:47

  
  Jakarta, Indonesia
  Associated Press
  December 17, 2007
  
  Researchers in a remote jungle in Indonesia have discovered a giant rat and a tiny possum that are apparently new to science, underscoring the stunning biodiversity of the Southeast Asian nation, scientists announced Monday.
  
  The discoveries by a team of American and Indonesian scientists are being studied further to confirm their status as newfound species.
  
  The animals were found during a June expedition in the Foja-mountain rain forest in eastern Papua province, said U.S.-based Conservation International (CI), which organized the trip along with the Indonesian Institute of Science.
  
  "The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, according to CI's press release. "With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip."
  
  The possum was described as "one of the worlds smallest marsupials."
  
• Fatum

  20 Dec 07, 05:51

  Free Papua ! ....
  
  http://www.freewestpapua.org/
• Leon.84

  20 Dec 07, 06:28

  The rat is cute. Does it come in white?
• poon cho tang

  20 Dec 07, 10:37

  Originally posted by googoomuck:

  
  

  
• Marco_Simone

  20 Dec 07, 10:39

  I think the cat would be scared of the rat.
• the Bear

  20 Dec 07, 10:39

  awww.. both are so cute!
• mistyblue

  20 Dec 07, 10:40

  Maybe the people there eat them...
• OasisBlue

  20 Dec 07, 10:54

  Originally posted by Marco_Simone:

  I think the cat would be scared of the rat.

  
• CKeer

  20 Dec 07, 11:04

  The rat does looks abit like Ferret.
  
  Cheers.
  CK
• RaTtY8l

  20 Dec 07, 11:06

  hehe theres a bigger rat here
  
• mhcampboy

  23 Dec 07, 15:08

  very cute the possum.. tat innocent eyes..
• Short Ninja

  23 Dec 07, 15:40

  Originally posted by mistyblue:

  Maybe the people there eat them...

  They will survive because hard to find chinese people there>
• Aaron8209

  23 Dec 07, 15:42

  
• popikachu

  24 Dec 07, 00:51

  rat!
• MooKu

  24 Dec 07, 00:52

  Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  I could put the possum in my pocket!! It's so cute!!!!!!!
• popikachu

  24 Dec 07, 00:53

  Originally posted by MooKu:

  Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  I could put the possum in my pocket!! It's so cute!!!!!!!

  pikachu can be kept in pocket too ^^
  they are the pocket monster! pokemon~!
• MooKu

  24 Dec 07, 00:55

  Originally posted by popikachu:

  pikachu can be kept in pocket too ^^
  they are the pocket monster! pokemon~!

  
• Ferret

  24 Dec 07, 01:38

  Originally posted by popikachu:

  pikachu can be kept in pocket too ^^
  they are the pocket monster! pokemon~!

  If u wanna be in someone's pocket... i can think of one person for u ^^