Giant, dog-sized rat documented in East Timor (Via Chad Arment)

Giant, dog-sized rat documented in East Timor

(AFP)

SYDNEY — Australian archaeologists have documented the remains of ancient giant rats the size of small dogs which were discovered in a remote East Timorese cave. Ken Aplin of government science agency CSIRO said the rats, detailed in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History this week, grew up to six kilograms (13 pounds) -- nearly the size of an adult Jack Russell.

The remains of the super-rats, three times the size of the largest living species, were among 13 types of rodents discovered during years of research in East Timor. Aplin told AFP the rats lived there until 1,000 to 2,000 years ago, and were likely wiped out by changes in agricultural practices and habitat clearance.

"Large-scale clearing of forest for agriculture probably caused the extinctions, and this may have only been possible following the introduction of metal tools," said Aplin. He said it was "a difficult sell, protecting rats", but that the finds are a reminder of the importance of conserving rodents.

"Rodents make up 40 percent of mammalian diversity worldwide and are a key element of ecosystems, important for processes like soil maintenance and seed dispersal," he said. The largest living rats weigh around two kilogrammes and live in rainforests in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.

Aplin was optimistic that at least one undiscovered rat species might still be living in East Timor, much of which is mountainous and inaccessible. "Although less than 15 per cent of Timor's original forest cover remains, parts of the island are still heavily forested, so who knows what might be out there?" he said.

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