New species of giant rat that can crack open coconuts with its teeth discovered

A new species of rat that is nearly half a metre long and can reputedly crack open coconuts with its teeth has been discovered on the Solomon Islands. However the animal, unique to the remote Pacific islands, may soon become extinct as forestry companies are cutting down the rainforest where it lives. For years, local people had told scientists about the “vika”. But, after searching without success, the scientists had begun to doubt the stories of a giant, tree-dwelling rat. Typically, rats in the US weigh about 200 grams, but the vika rats weigh up to a kilogramme, five times as much. From nose to tail, it is about 45cm or 18 inches long...more