# Giant Rat! Bosavi Woolly Rat!



## Raturday (May 26, 2012)

This rat is adorable! He weighs a little over 3 lbs. I think he's bruxing 
I think the most adorable part was seeing him scratching though, hehe.

Here's a Wiki article about the rat!


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## KelseyShea (Jan 20, 2013)

That's an R.O.U.S.! What a cool find.


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## Stubbylove (Sep 5, 2012)

He's so cute. I wish my boys would get that big. It's so cool. He's like the size of a cat!! Lol. 


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## FallDeere (Sep 29, 2011)

I want one! lol. 

He's so chill... just hanging out while a bunch of guys and cameras ooh and ah around him. Not freaked out in the least... My Gus Gus could take a lesson or two from him. XD

The guy even petted it! A wild rat, the size of my teacup poodle (if not bigger)! I'm just amazed! Definitely an awesome little (or big) creature. Such a cutie. <33

Thanks so much for sharing!


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## RatGirl_Red (Nov 26, 2012)

it must be a boy bc i know no female who would tolerate being still so long..yet i saw no berries!!

giant rat...with males that dont have gross berries? lol

at least a rat that size could teach my cat to be nice and respect the rattys!! Wonder if they could be caged with domestics 1/4 their size. hm


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

That would definitely have to be a free range rattie, or he'd have to be in a massive cage! I really really want one!!!!! 


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

I propose a trip to whatever jungle they found that thing in and we breed and tame them.


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## BasmatiRice (Feb 11, 2012)

It looked pretty much tamed already lol 

Probably has never seen humans before but even so, I'd guess that every wild animal trapped by the tail like that would freak out... Interestingly enough it actually seemed to enjoy being petted!


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

I second the jungle trip. I'm totally down! I'd love to bring these guys over! I have so much less rat proofing to do, since they can't get under the stove / other places my girls seem to really want to be... 

They would be able to chomp through wires easier though... And my textbooks could be munched up even quicker... Hmmmm... 

Oh well, they're adorable 


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## Smilebud (Jul 31, 2012)

It's been 4 years since it was discovered... How do I not own one?! How hard do you think it would be to smuggle breeding stock to Canada?


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## Stubbylove (Sep 5, 2012)

Are they allowed to b pets? R they endangered or anything? Do u think that rat breeder will start breeding them into our pet population to make larger pet rats? I love the big boys. That's why I get makes cuz I love how big and squishy they get. I bet these guys would b like that once bred into pets. I would just let them free roam all the time. Ratties that big wouodnt b happy in a cage. Maybe they would need a whole room for a cage!! or just the whole house and a litter box. Lol!!. 


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## Korra (Dec 11, 2011)

They cannot breed them into our rats. These are two separate species. Possibly VERY far apart in reference to evolution.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

Alright, all we need is one male and one female, and an innocent looking person to bring them into Canada  I volunteer! 


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## Ruka (Dec 20, 2012)

Gannyaan said:


> Alright, all we need is one male and one female, and an innocent looking person to bring them into Canada  I volunteer!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yes!! Bring the giant fuzzy to Canada!!


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## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

I want one.
haha.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

Hey, what about giant pouched rats? They're similar right ? 


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## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

So more info on the jungle trip. Its a small island just north of Australia near the Philippines. The cute furry giant rat was found in the crater of a dead volcano. Rock climbing equipment will need to be obtained and it will take awhile to climb to the top and locate the rat. I say we kidnap one of the individuals that originally found it and force him to take us to the rat god. Back when the rat was found the jungle was being cut down less than twenty miles away. I think this rat is in danger of extinction and needs our help (atleast that is what we will say if were caught). If only I had lots of money and vacation time.


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## Gannyaan (Dec 7, 2012)

I'm down. Ill quit school and save a poor endangered species  ... 


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## Soarel (Jan 1, 2013)

Oh my, what a big _pufferino!_
He looks so squishable and happy! He just sits there while they pet it!


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

First of all, I'm really pretty sure that if giant rats got loose in Canada or in the United States you're not likely to win any awards from your local wildlife preservation groups. In the southern United States we've already got the nutria rat that weighs up to 10 pounds and destroys vast tracts of wetland in its path.
I met a fellow a few months ago that claims the nutria rats invaded his local park and they follow people around groveling for food. And I've seen articles online where people are keeping the nutria's as pets. I've really got to suppose that nobody would mind if you went to Louisiana and collected yourself a few nutria's. In that way you could have a 10 pound rat. Now, on the downside nutria's are semiaquatic which means that rather than a cage you'll probably need a bathtub to keep them in. And if you live near a marsh from what I understand they are pretty much vegetarian and you can just toss them in the water and they will graze for their own food. Somehow, that sounds easier than climbing a volcano somewhere in the Pacific.
On the other hand, a 3 pound terrestrial rat doesn't sound like much of a bad idea. If it's friendly and docile and has a reasonable lifespan and isn't too destructive around the house that might make for a great pet. The other advantage to going now in collecting these rats from the wild is that they are not likely to be banned by customs yet. In the United States, you can generally import anything that isn't specifically banned. Chances are, that once customs gets a load of these critters they're going to make the list. I believe the Gambian pouched rat recently got listed as did the giant African snail. I'm pretty sure, depending on where you live, you most likely can keep other species, you just can't import any more of them.
I have friends they go to Africa to collect exotic fish. It is a major undertaking. For the most part you have to arrange transportation and lodging and carry lots of bottled water with you, you'll need to hire a translator and guide and it wouldn't hurt to have a friend who works in a local zoo who would loan you his ship to address. The animal import permits in the United States only cost a few hundred dollars but airfreight is not cheap and you're likely to get stuck with quarantine costs. Once we find someone with deep pockets to foot the bill for the expedition and importation to the United States most likely we can train the giant rats to scurry across the Canadian border under their own power to avoid Canadian smuggling charges.
All in all, it's definitely doable, so if there's anyone out there that wants to foot the bill you can count me in too.
As a footnote, I've seen another article on this species and it included a photograph of a fellow holding one of these giant rats in his arms. The article went on to say that they are naturally friendly to humans and generally quite docile. On the other hand, there was no information about how many of these rats they found and if that trait is characteristic of the species or of one specimen. It also didn't mention what kind of damage a 3 pound giant rat might do to your carpets, your wiring, your furniture, your clothes and your walls. It also didn't mention how fast these rats reproduce, what kind of environments they require and what can of damage they can do to your local wildlife when they escape. I did say when they escape, because if they're anything like our fancy rats some well. For all we know, there lulling us into a false sense of confidence so that we rescue them from some dreary volcano and set them loose in North America. Never under estimate how sneaky a rat can be.


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## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

I can't believe how tame he is letting the guy pet him. "He's like a little puppy!"
Definitely going to look up more about them.


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