Animals - Giant rats from Vangunu actually exist
Researchers have used camera traps on a remote island in the South Pacific to photograph one of the rarest and least researched animal species in the world for the first time. The Vangunu giant rat (Uromys vika), named after the Solomon Island of the same name, was not even known to science until a few years ago.
The only animal documented to date was discovered dead next to a felled tree in 2015. It was the first new rodent species to be discovered on the Solomon Islands east of New Guinea in more than 80 years. However, the first recordings of the rats in their natural habitat could also be the last.
According to a study published in the journal "Ecology and Evolution", the rodents are facing extinction due to the deforestation of their habitat in the tropical forests of Vangunu. The fact that they have fallen into camera traps is thanks to the locals: unlike scientists, the Vangunu people have a deep traditional knowledge of the giant rats, wrote the researchers led by Tyrone H. Lavery from the University of Melbourne.
"With the help of camera traps and guided by this knowledge, we wanted to take pictures of Uromys vika in the last large block of primary forest in Vangunu," they said. The animals were attracted by bait containing sesame oil. A total of 95 images of four different specimens were taken. "The rodents were irrefutably identified as Uromys vika due to their large body size, long tails and very short ears."
Government releases area for logging
According to the study, the forests near the village of Zaira are the last suitable habitat for the species: They build their nests in ferns that grow on lowland trees. Not much more is known about their way of life, but the Vangunu rats are said to be so strong that they can even crack coconuts.
"The recently granted permit for deforestation around Zaira will lead to their extinction," the researchers are convinced. They hope that their spectacular photos will help to draw attention to the rare rodents and the protection of their habitat.
"The results presented here come at a critical time for the future of Zaira's forests," Lavery wrote. The inhabitants have been fighting for 16 years to protect their tribal lands from commercial exploitation. Nevertheless, the Solomon Islands government opened the area to logging in November 2022.
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- The discovery of the Vangunu giant rat in the South Pacific's Solomon Islands expansion of our understanding of the diverse animal species living in the region's forests.
- The study on the Uromys vika rat in Melbourne revealed that they reside in the tropical forests of Vangunu, a habitat that is currently under threat due to deforestation.
- The deforestation of forests near the village of Zaira, due to a permit granted by the Solomon Islands government, could lead to the extinction of the Vangunu giant rats, which are endemic to the South Pacific.
- Researchers in Melbourne are using photographic evidence to raise awareness about the plight of the Vangunu giant rats, whose habitat is being destroyed by logging activities in the South Sea.
- The South Pacific's Solomon Islands, a nation rich in biodiversity, is under threat as its forests are being destroyed for commercial logging, endangering protected species such as the Vangunu giant rat.
- The University of Melbourne's study on the Vangunu giant rat highlights the importance of preserving South Pacific forests, home to unique and vulnerable animal species like this giant rodent.
- Scientists have documented the Vangunu giant rat, a new and endangered rodent species, living in one of the last large blocks of primary forest in Vangunu, which is under threat of deforestation due to logging activity.
Source: www.stern.de
