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Mad Mouse · 08-27-2011, 08:10 AM

Giant rat killed by pitchfork in Marcy Houses is believed to be Gambian pouched rat

Quote:

A photo making the rounds shows Housing Authority worker Jose Rivera minutes after he speared the humongous rodent with a pitchfork at the Marcy Houses.
It's covered in white fur and looks well-fed. It appears to be about three feet long, including its hideously dangling tail.
And Rivera, 48, says it's not the only one. He insists that while he was filling a rat hole last week, three came running out - but he was only able to nail one.
"I hit it one time and it was still moving," Rivera said. "I hit it another time and that's when it died. I'm not scared of rats but I was scared of being bitten."
Naomi Colon, head of the Marcy Houses Tenant Association, said there have been sightings of the outsize rat for at least six years.
"The residents have told me that they've seen it running around with other rats. She lived with them. She ran into the same hole they ran in."
Animal experts who viewed the picture identified the animal as a Gambian pouched rat, which is a fairly common pet rat.

Chuck Baggett · 08-27-2011, 09:09 AM

APOPO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There used to find land mines.

Mad Mouse · 08-27-2011, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck Baggett

APOPO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There used to find land mines.

OMG those actually look cute, but I don't think I'd want wild (possibly rabies infected) ones running around.

**Aliselia Aeon** · 08-27-2011, 09:16 AM

There are very few things that I hate more than rats. Where I grew up they were big and aggressive and I had some bad experiences with them. I believe all rats need to die, and I think that is the only animal that I feel that way about. *shudders*

Mad Mouse · 08-27-2011, 09:22 AM

Oh no, what if they killed Splinter!

Bullet Bear · 08-27-2011, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aliselia Aeon

There are very few things that I hate more than rats. Where I grew up they were big and aggressive and I had some bad experiences with them. I believe all rats need to die, and I think that is the only animal that I feel that way about. *shudders*

awww not all rats are evil, they breed cute little domestic pet rats too ;p but I do feel exactly the same way about those evil little wasps

DanielRavenNest · 08-27-2011, 10:13 AM

Rodents of Unusual Size?

ROUSes - Princess Bride - YouTube

Isabeau Imako · 08-27-2011, 10:28 AM

You want to see a giant rat? Here you go...

Roxanne Blue · 08-27-2011, 11:38 AM

We have a problem with these oversized rodents invading the ecosystem in the middle of the Florida Keys.

Florida Keys Treasures - Pouch Rats

Quote:

Here in the Florida Keys, as with much of South Florida, we are always dealing with invasive exotics from the Brazilian-pepper tree to iguanas to batfish. Now we have another to add to this list. The African Gambian pouch rat.
This cute invader, which can get up to 9 pounds has made Grassy Key its home. Some biologists and conservationists in the Keys insist it must be eradicated before it increases its range and begins to cause problems for native species living in the Florida Keys. Although nobody is sure how or why the rat was released on Grassy Key, biologists are saying the animal could be devastating to the Florida Keys' ecological system.
These omnivores eat almost everything and could compete for food with endangered species such as the silver rice rat and the endangered wood rat. They might also carry diseases and could be eating bird eggs. A greater threat, some say, is if the pouch rat makes it to Key Largo. It would not be difficult for it to then reach the Florida Everglades. "There's no telling what would happen if they made it to the mainland," biologist Randy Grau said.

Don't worry too much about them invading the Everglades. We already have plenty of pythons breeding there to eat the giant rats when they show up.

**Sredni Eel** · 08-27-2011, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aliselia Aeon

There are very few things that I hate more than rats. Where I grew up they were big and aggressive and I had some bad experiences with them. I believe all rats need to die, and I think that is the only animal that I feel that way about. *shudders*

My snake feels the same. She's actually so afraid of rats that she won't eat them. It's a pain, really, because she's six feet long and should be weaned off mice by now.

Dickie Swansong · 08-28-2011, 05:26 AM

The Tale of the Giant Rat of Sumatra

Ewan Took · 08-28-2011, 06:35 AM

And that's a huge pitchfork too!

Isabeau Imako · 08-28-2011, 09:59 AM

Why don't we simply eat them?

We eat chickens (they're smelly and need to be plucked), frogs (tiny), fish (depleting the ocean, some endangered + mercury), etc.

Just hit it over the head with a shovel and, wham - 9 pounds of free food.

Aribeth Zelin · 08-28-2011, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sredni Eel

My snake feels the same. She's actually so afraid of rats that she won't eat them. It's a pain, really, because she's six feet long and should be weaned off mice by now.

Mine eats frozen rats - it broke my heart when we'd get her live ones, and it was worse when she decided not to eat them - one lived in her home with her for a week before she got fed up with it running over her and just killed it.

So, frozen ones work, she eats them with no problems.

------

And personally I find rats make awesome pets, if you can handle something that clever. My last one was a food rat, and she used to stick her tail out to fish for cats, then try and nip their noses - this apparently was a fun game for rat and cats, and no one got hurt. She ended up getting breast cancer and died.

**Aliselia Aeon** · 08-28-2011, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sredni Eel

My snake feels the same. She's actually so afraid of rats that she won't eat them. It's a pain, really, because she's six feet long and should be weaned off mice by now.

A friend I used to have raised snakes and used guinea pigs, often-or small rabbits.

**Aliselia Aeon** · 08-28-2011, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isabeau Imako

Why don't we simply eat them?

We eat chickens (they're smelly and need to be plucked), frogs (tiny), fish (depleting the ocean, some endangered + mercury), etc.

Just hit it over the head with a shovel and, wham - 9 pounds of free food.

Some people do, still.

Josef Munster · 08-28-2011, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isabeau Imako

Why don't we simply eat them? We eat chickens (they're smelly and need to be plucked), frogs (tiny), fish (depleting the ocean, some endangered + mercury), etc. Just hit it over the head with a shovel and, wham - 9 pounds of free food.

You never heard of ratatouille? Don't forget the rat burgers in Demolition Man, Sylvester Stallone liked them, so rat can't be bad. For some ideas on how to cook them, try recipes meant for squirrels and rabbit. I don't see why you can't substitute rat meat either -- make a vegetable stew out of it with white wine, barbecue , shiskabob, meatloaf, stuffed pepper, fried with gravy, etc. If you went to public school, do you remember the cafeteria serving "mystery meat"? You probably ate rat.

If you cook rat to an internal temperature of 165 you should be alright (should kill anything it's carrying) Another plus is that most states don't require a hunting license to get in some year-round target practice. Just keep some feeders stocked.

Rat -- the new versatile meat

Mad Mouse · 08-28-2011, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josef Munster

You never heard of ratatouille? Don't forget the rat burgers in Demolition Man, Sylvester Stallone liked them, so rat can't be bad. For some ideas on how to cook them, try recipes meant for squirrels and rabbit. I don't see why you can't substitute rat meat either -- make a vegetable stew out of it with white wine, barbecue , shiskabob, meatloaf, stuffed pepper, fried with gravy, etc. If you went to public school, do you remember the cafeteria serving "mystery meat"? You probably ate rat.

If you cook rat to an internal temperature of 165 you should be alright (should kill anything it's carrying) Another plus is that most states don't require a hunting license to get in some year-round target practice. Just keep some feeders stocked.

Rat -- the new versatile meat

**Sredni Eel** · 08-28-2011, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aribeth Zelin

Mine eats frozen rats - it broke my heart when we'd get her live ones, and it was worse when she decided not to eat them - one lived in her home with her for a week before she got fed up with it running over her and just killed it.

So, frozen ones work, she eats them with no problems.
.

My girl is a picky eater. I have tried giving her pre-killed, and thawed prey, and she just won't bother. For whatever reason she will starve herself rather than eat something she didn't kill herself. Rather than fight a losing battle, I just give her a couple of mice a week. I never leave rodents in the enclosure with her, because rodents can and do bite and/or attack snakes, so I make sure she wraps the prey before I leave her alone.

I've never had a fondness for rats. I know they make great pets, but I just don't like them.

Naiki · 08-28-2011, 12:36 PM

Damn. That poor man has a member of JLU stuck on his pitchfork....

Lucifer Baphomet · 08-28-2011, 01:08 PM

Rats are awesome.

Last pet I has was a rat named Gibson.

He has the run of the house, but slept in, and did his toilet business in his hutch, which was always open.

He'd sit and watch TV on the arm of my chair beside me, and liked to climb into my jacket when I went out.

Poor thing died after a bad stroke.

**Stroker Serpentine** · 08-28-2011, 01:23 PM

Rats are smart..Ben had his own themesong..

Mercedes · 08-28-2011, 02:35 PM

Ewwwww! And not just because it is ginormous, but because it is impaled on a pitchfork.

Ann Otoole · 08-28-2011, 02:41 PM

damn that is a lot of meat to waste. mmm McRat burgers!

**Aliselia Aeon** · 08-28-2011, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucifer Baphomet

Rats are awesome.

Last pet I has was a rat named Gibson.

He has the run of the house, but slept in, and did his toilet business in his hutch, which was always open.

He'd sit and watch TV on the arm of my chair beside me, and liked to climb into my jacket when I went out.

Poor thing died after a bad stroke.

I know they are smart. I also know that some people love them as pets. I can't get past my hatred of them, though. I had a friend who had a pet rat and she tried to get me over it, but I couldn't.

08-27-2011, 09:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
Aliselia Aeon Senior Member *SLU Supporter* Stolen Child Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Here Posts: 12,511 My Mood: SL Join Date: October 27, 2007 Client: at the moment, Nirans Blog Entries: 3	There are very few things that I hate more than rats. Where I grew up they were big and aggressive and I had some bad experiences with them. I believe all rats need to die, and I think that is the only animal that I feel that way about. shudders __________________ "Push 100cc of Social Skills, stat!" ~Casey Pelous

08-28-2011, 06:35 AM	#12 (permalink)
Ewan Took Ho hum ............ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Scotland Posts: 4,257	And that's a huge pitchfork too! __________________ "The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."

08-28-2011, 01:08 PM	#21 (permalink)
Lucifer Baphomet Nobel Peace Prize Winner *SLU Supporter* Zenophile Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Darkmere Posts: 20,948 My Mood: Business: Radio Free Darkmere Awards: 1	Rats are awesome. Last pet I has was a rat named Gibson. He has the run of the house, but slept in, and did his toilet business in his hutch, which was always open. He'd sit and watch TV on the arm of my chair beside me, and liked to climb into my jacket when I went out. Poor thing died after a bad stroke. __________________

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08-27-2011, 09:09 AM	#2 (permalink)
Chuck Baggett Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Jackson, MS Posts: 46	APOPO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia There used to find land mines.

08-27-2011, 09:22 AM	#5 (permalink)
Mad Mouse Clearly Mad Fraternizes with Brits Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: American as apple pie and twice as sweet Posts: 3,772 My Mood: SL Join Date: Aug. 2008	Oh no, what if they killed Splinter!

08-27-2011, 10:28 AM	#8 (permalink)
Isabeau Imako Rhâââ.... Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Montréal Posts: 6,242	You want to see a giant rat? Here you go...

08-28-2011, 09:59 AM	#13 (permalink)
Isabeau Imako Rhâââ.... Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Montréal Posts: 6,242	Why don't we simply eat them? We eat chickens (they're smelly and need to be plucked), frogs (tiny), fish (depleting the ocean, some endangered + mercury), etc. Just hit it over the head with a shovel and, wham - 9 pounds of free food.

08-28-2011, 12:36 PM	#20 (permalink)
Naiki Is eating your shoes. Nom Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,134 Business: Blue Moons	Damn. That poor man has a member of JLU stuck on his pitchfork....

08-28-2011, 01:23 PM	#22 (permalink)
Stroker Serpentine Avieroticist *SLU Supporter* CyberJock Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cigar City Posts: 1,290 My Mood: SL Join Date: Nov 2003 Business: Strokerz Toyz/Strocap/Eros	Rats are smart..Ben had his own themesong..

08-28-2011, 02:35 PM	#23 (permalink)
Mercedes Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 1,382 My Mood: SL Join Date: 2009 Business: pHeNiX Client: Firestorm	Ewwwww! And not just because it is ginormous, but because it is impaled on a pitchfork.

08-28-2011, 02:41 PM	#24 (permalink)
Ann Otoole Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 16,374	damn that is a lot of meat to waste. mmm McRat burgers!

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