Gigantic Rat Caught on Camera for the First Time

An ultra-rare gigantic rat so big that it puts New York City's subway-dwelling rodents to shame has been caught on camera for the first time.

Uromys vika, a giant rat known for being "one of the world's rarest rodents" according to the University of Melbourne, is found in just one isolated spot throughout the world – the island of Vangunu in the Solomon Islands. The species was only first identified by a single animal discovered in 2017, but recently, university researchers said that after placing out glass oil lamps filled with sesame oil, they captured 95 images of four different animals in the species using trap cameras, the first images to document the species.

It's believed that of the animals documented, one is a male while the others are female.

While little is known about the species, scientists are sure of one thing – they're huge.

Giant Rat Discovered in Solomon Islands

The University of Melbourne has announced the discovery of a rare giant rat in the Solomon Islands. The rodent, which is at least twice the size of a common rat, is tree-dwelling and has the ability to chew through coconuts with its teeth. According to researchers, the rodents can grow to be about a foot-and-a-half long, which is roughly the size of a newborn baby.

Aside from their large bodies, the giant rats also have long tails and very short ears. However, this unique species is critically endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. The rats are found on a small 210-square-mile island, which has been rapidly declining due to logging. The area where the rats have been discovered is a forest area of less than 30 square miles.

The giant rat was first discovered in 2017, marking the first time in over 80 years that a new rodent species had been identified in the Solomon Islands. Lead study author Tyrone Lavery from the University of Melbourne expressed the significance of capturing images of the Vangunu giant rat for the first time. He stated, "The images show the Vangunu giant rat lives in Zaira's primary forests, and these lands (particularly the Dokoso tribal area) represent the last remaining habitat for the species. Logging consent has been granted at Zaira, and if it proceeds it will undoubtedly lead to extinction of the Vangunu giant rat."