World's Most Elusive Rat Ends After 18-Week Chase

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

http://www.wfmynews2.com/watercooler/artic...x?storyid=50512

 

A scientific experiment turned into a very long rat race of trying to catch the critter.

 

Undated -- It seemed like a good idea. Let a lone rat loose on a rodent-free island and then figure out how to kill it. That way, when other islands are invaded by rats, you'll know what to do.

 

Scientists figured they'd trap this foot-long varmint in no time.

 

Eighteen weeks later, they finally trapped it with some fresh penguin bait. On another island.

 

Rodents are a problem just about everywhere. In New Zealand, at least 11 islands have been invaded by Norway rats since 1980, in each case after rats from earlier invasions had been eradicated. The invaders disrupt local ecosystems.

 

In the new study, a Norway rat was originally lured into a trap with chocolate. Its DNA was recorded, and the rat was outfitted with a radio collar and set free on the tiny island of Motuhoropapa off the coast of New Zealand.

 

With no rats to compete with, the test subject traversed the entire island for about four weeks before settling on a home range, data from the radio collar showed.

 

For the next four weeks, conventional rat-trapping techniques were employed, snap traps, live traps and waxed devices, without success.

 

After 10 weeks, the radio signal was lost.

 

Then the researchers found rat feces on the island of Otata, 1,300 feet away across the open ocean. The DNA was a match, confirming a suspicion scientists had, that rats were good swimmers.

 

The elusive creature had made the longest confirmed open-water crossing of any rodent in history.

 

Different methods were used on Otata: buried traps, peanut butter, poison and even trained dogs. Not until more than four months after its release was the rat finally killed, in a trap baited with fresh penguin.

 

The scientists, led by James Russell at the University of Auckland, sagely conclude that conventional methods didn't work well. They also have an idea why: Being alone, the rat didn't behave as it would have in a rat-infested city; and with no competition for food, the bait was less attractive than it otherwise would have been.

 

The results are detailed in the Oct. 20 issue of the journal Nature.

 

"Our results may help in the design of conservation strategies to keep islands free of invasive rodents," the researchers write.

[lfcrule1972]

"Our results may help the public at large realise that we are less intelligent than rodents," the researchers write.

 

Would be more apt.......

 

Wasn't the Cane (spelling?) toad introduced to Oz to elminate another pest, only it became a bigger one ?

[linx05]

Yeah the cane (correct spelling) toad was introduced to get rid of cane beatles. The problem was, the toads never ate the beatles (they couldn't get them up on the cane). But thty ate everything else and killed anything that ate them.

 

Now they're just fun to hit with a cricket bat. Btw, have a look at this funny short film on cane toads. The guys who made it are doing cgi for LOTR and King Kong.

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

"Our results may help the public at large realise that we are less intelligent than rodents," the researchers write.

 

Would be more apt.......

 

Wasn't the Cane (spelling?) toad introduced to Oz to elminate another pest, only it became a bigger one ?

 

Yeah. The problem was that the Cane Toad (Bufo Marinus and don't ask me why I know that), just can't jump high enough to get to where the beetles nest. It's one of the biggest clusterfucks this country has seen. They're in plague proportions here in Queensland. Try this link if you've got 5 minutes to waste. You might find it amusing.

 

www.cane-toad.com

[blutach]

Who let Lenny loose on the poor Kiwis?

 

Regards

[dbminter]

Re: Cane toads short subject referenced in previous post

 

 

Can someone explain what "shot gun a tinny" (That's what I heard, anyway.) means?

 

 

And, is there a brand of lawmower called a Victa, or did they create it just for the short?

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Re: Cane toads short subject referenced in previous post

 

 

Can someone explain what "shot gun a tinny" (That's what I heard, anyway.) means?

 

 

And, is there a brand of lawmower called a Victa, or did they create it just for the short?

 

"Shotgun a tinny" - to drink a can of beer by puncturing a small hole in the side of the can and then shaking it then placing your mouth over the hole. The pressure obviously forces beer out of the can with very little air taken in during consumption. Much like drinking beer through a straw. It's a quick way to get shitfaced.

 

Victa is an actual brand. http://www.victa.com.au/

[dbminter]

I'd never heard that phrase before. Ever. Thanks!

[lfcrule1972]

Jesus ! My uncle lives in Brisbane and I remember him batting a cane toad with a cricket bat. I found it in his garden and he carefully picked it up as I believe they have some form of venom defence mechanism.

 

Then he tossed it into the air and whacked it with his cricket bat into the field behind his house. Funny thing is he has a dog that is part kelpy (spelling ?) and it chases anything but it doesn't like the cane toads....

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Jesus ! My uncle lives in Brisbane and I remember him batting a cane toad with a cricket bat. I found it in his garden and he carefully picked it up as I believe they have some form of venom defence mechanism.

 

Yeah. They exude a poison from sacs on their back which can kill damn near anything that eats even a small amount of one. What's interesting (to me anyway) that birds such as crows and kookaburras have evolved to the point where many will grab a toad by the leg and flip it over before attacking it as they know there's no poison glands on its underside. Previously, birds that attacked or grabbed a cane toad would be dead before they could fly back into a tree. Evolution in action.

 

Also, you may or may not be aware that the poison from a cane toad is also a powerful narcotic that can produce hallucinations which can last a few minutes, a few hours or (in some cases) longer. Drug users simply squeeze a poison gland on the toads back and rub it onto a normal cigarette.

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

I'd never heard that phrase before. Ever. Thanks!

 

You're welcome.

[dbminter]

It's also the origin of the urban legend of licking toads to get a high. 1.) it has to be certain kinds of toads 2.) you can't just lick the poison as that's a sure way to get sick. But, the poison can be a hallucinogen when applied properly.

[Grain]

We call it shotgunning beer in Western Canada, and I ermm, won't say why I know that. It's probably a good thing we have no smokeable toads in Canada, we wouldn't get anything done . BTW, is it any good(the toad fags that is)?

[lfcrule1972]

BTW, is it any good(the toad fags that is)?

 

Shamus ?

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

. BTW, is it any good(the toad fags that is)?

 

Dunno. Never tried it. Effects are apparently similar to LSD. Personally, I prefer beer.

[Grain]

Surely someone out there can give us a laugh with some story of a misspent youth? We'll think no less of you, I promise. Toad Smokers

[spinningwheel]

I've arrested drunks, spike jockeys, crack heads, gasoline huffers, 'shroom eaters, speed freaks, acid heads, dealers, lab techies and strawberry girls...but in 18 years never once ran into a Toad Smoker...I must have lead too sheltered an existence.....

 

 

[zacoz]

Try this link if you've got 5 minutes to waste. You might find it amusing.

 

www.cane-toad.com

Quite good Shamus.

 

Love a good "Toad Popper's Run" myself. After a spot of rain there's so many out that it's hard to keep count how many you actually pop.

 

Never tried a Toad Enhanced Durrie

Edited November 16, 2005 by zacoz

[lfcrule1972]

Go on zacoz you could be the Toad smoker beta tester for us all !